An Unwise Murder
by Belgaris
Summary: Murder only takes a moment to commit... and Harry knows that in that one moment he has lost everything... everything... And in that one moment the Boy-Who-Lived, died. Dark Romantic Drama. Pairing HP/LV SLASH Rated M . COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

**Warning:** This Story contains **SLASH**, **LV/HP** if this offends _please_ do not read.

******Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to JK Rowling

_'Parseltongue'_

**Author's note.** This was to be a dark/fluffy short story for Christmas. I got ill half way through. So here it is a month late. Hope you all had a good Christmas!

**An Unwise Murder**

Chapter One

"Potter remains _absent_. According to Dumbledore he is being 'rehabilitated to get him back on track.' He will not tell me where he is. He is within the castle walls, but a 'Point Me' spell does not work."

The Dark Lord narrowed his eyes. "His _rehabilitation_ involves a great deal of pain."

"How is Narcissa."

Voldemort rose swiftly from his seat to pace before the fireplace. The opulent room was a hair's-breadth from being ostentatious. As it was, Malfoy Manor was a grand masterpiece to the impeccable taste of the Witch who had been inconsolable with grief for the past ten days.

"Lucius worries me more," Voldemort said. "I fear that he will do something unwise soon and get himself killed. He blames me for not acting. ALL MY PLANS ARE DISRUPTED!" He suddenly shouted. "The attack on Hogwarts scheduled a week before the Yule holiday will have to be postponed until Potter has resurfaced! There is no point to it if the Brat is not there for all to witness his death at the hands of Lord Voldemort! That is why I have called a meeting."

Severus Snape hid his surprise, his head bowed and his shoulders hunched. Even so, the Crucio, he'd been expecting for ten days, hit him with a force that knocked him onto his back, his limbs snapping and muscles freezing as the pain roared through him. He bit deeply into his tongue in an effort not to scream. As painful as this was, he knew it was only a fraction of the agony that Voldemort was capable of instilling into a Cruciatus.

"_Do not think, Severus, that I have been unaware of your duplicity._" An icy voice hissed through the fog of pain. "I _read_ your surprise at the date of the attack! As if I would have told _you!_ I am known as the greatest Legilimens in the magical world! What made you think that _you_ could best _me_ in the art! That you now fully commit to your Lord purely because of your Godson's death at the hands Dumbledore is an insult to my intelligence! If you were not still of use to me I would end you now!"

He lifted the curse and sat back down stroking his wand. "To turn your back on all that you_ truly are_, the values you once held dear! _And_ _For What!_ The love of a _mudblood_ who treated you like dirt beneath her feet for a minor mistake you made in anger and humiliation, after _years _of devotion to her! _IT IS INCONCEIVABLE!"_ He roared.

"_I bitterly regret it, My Lord_." Severus said fervently. He struggled back onto his knees and leaning forward kissed the rim of Voldemort's robe.

"Yes, I can _see_ that, Severus! But it is nearly eighteen_ years_ too late don't you think!"

"Yes. I have been unforgivably blind. I can only humbly apologise and swear on my magic that I will follow you and serve you for the rest of my life."

Voldemort kicked him away with his foot. "Get up! I do not want you _grovelling_ around my feet, Severus! I am in ill temper! My sleep is plagued by the Brat's agony. I can feel him attempt to shield it from me but it breaks through constantly! Last night was particularly bad."

Severus stood, wincing slightly. "I have potions that could help."

"No. I will not have my mental faculties inhibited. Dumbledore is attempting to break him, I want to know when he succeeds."

Snape shook his head. "The boy I last saw was a maddened animal." Severus shivered, remembering Potter's face as Mad-Eye and various members of the Order had dragged him out of Dumbledore's office. "I do not think he will succeed, My Lord."

Voldemort hummed narrowing his eyes at Snape. "The mudblood and blood traitor exposed the affair, and Dumbledore cast the curse that finally killed Draco. The Brat's three most trusted allies and his lover. _Everything_ he holds dear is now _gone_." Voldemort sneered at Snape. "You broke for the loss of one mudblood! He has lost _everything!_"

"Potter protected Draco to the end." Snape's voice cracked and he stopped speaking for a moment. "I legilimised Weasley, and saw what happened. They were caught leaving the room of requirement. Draco stunned Granger as the Order and Dumbledore opened fire. Potter fought in front of Draco. He was crazed, and... My lord, he is... forgive me, My Lord, but he is not to be underestimated in battle. He is better than I have ever seen apart from yourself. He took the worst curses aimed at Draco using his own body as a shield. I believe that even as greatly outnumbered as they were, they would have prevailed if Dumbledore had not cast the killing curse. Potter threw himself in front of Draco to intercept it, but Draco pushed him to the side and..."

"That is good to hear." Narcissa Malfoy, led by Lucius, came into the room. She looked as if a mere breeze would break her. She bowed slightly to Voldemort and swayed. "My Lord. Severus." She said giving him a slight nod. "They protected each other in equal measure."

"Sit, Narcissa, before you fall." Voldemort said irritably. "Are you well enough to attend this meeting?"

Narcissa settled into a seat and lifted cold eyes to her Master. "I am. My Son is dead and buried. Outside of war! Nothing will change that. I will be a part of whatever it takes to destroy Dumbledore. Is there any news of Harry, Severus?" She asked the man sharply.

Lucius looked at his Lord seeing his eyes flash furiously. Since the news of his Son and Heir's death he had withdrawn completely and surrounded himself in a iron clad exterior that softened only for his wife. Surreptitiously he unsheathed his wand from its cane. His Lord had done _nothing_ since Draco's death! If he thought he could now punish his wife he would learn that a Malfoy protected their own!

"You sound concerned for the Brat, Narcissa." Voldemort drawled dangerously, his red eyes staring at her piercingly.

Narcissa lifted her chin. "I am. I had never seen Draco happier this past eighteen months. I knew there was someone he loved dearly as he wrote to me often about his feelings. I didn't know it was Harry."

"He is my _enemy_, Narcissa, _or had you forgotten?_" Voldemort hissed.

"_My Lord!_" Bella said rushing into the room with two cloaked figures hovering behind her. "Potter and the Mudblood have disappeared! Dumbledore is enraged and has the entire castle searching for them!"

Voldemort sprang to his feet. "Explain!"

The two cloaked figures fell to their knees and pushed their hoods back. Pansy Parkinson and Blaise Zambini looked at their Lord in terror. His deep red eyes were stark against his almost opaque skin. His thin lips were set in a snarl showing white teeth. They lowered their eyes unable to look at him.

"Dumbledore stormed Slytherin common room an hour before breakfast, he was like a maniac! He said we were hiding Potter and that Granger has been taken! When the Order had searched the dormitories he started to legilimens us! He is looking for you Sir!" Pansy turned to Snape. "He was calling you a traitor! He thinks _you_ released Potter!"

"He C_rucioed_ Crabbe and Goyle!" Blaise said as if he still couldn't believe it. "But they didn't know _anything_, none of us did! In the chaos we managed to escape, but the others are all under house arrest!"

"I must go to my Snakes!" Severus turned and strode to the door.

"_Stay where you are, Severus!_" Voldemort hissed. "Dumbledore will kill you if you return now." He pursed his lips. "The Brat must have taken the mudblood to exact his revenge. But why has he not taken the blood-traitor also?"

"_Weasley was with the Order and Dumbledore!_" Pansy spat. "He was screaming that we were all filthy scum and would die like vermin, as Draco had, if we didn't tell him where Granger was!" Her breath hitched. "But Draco was killed in a flying accident wasn't he? That's what we were told! I don't understand what's happening! I don't _Understand_... We were told Draco was killed in a _flying accident!_"

She started to cry and Bella silenced her. "_Control yourself child!_" She hissed. "You are before your Lord!"

In the following silence a resounding 'snap' had all eyes turning to Lucius. His wand, that he had been fingering angrily, was broken in two. He looked at it for a moment, then slung it across the room.

"_Draco was murdered by Dumbledore!_" He bit out, "It was no accident! My son was in love with Harry Potter! Dumbledore was told of the affair and Draco was killed because of it!"

Blaise frowned. "I knew Draco had been seeing someone since sixth year, and this year he has disappeared every night and refused to tell us anything about it. _It was Harry Potter?!_"

"Yes. And the Brat has been tortured by Dumbledore and the Order every night since the discovery to break him back into the fold!" Voldemort snapped irritably then sighed rubbing forehead. He lifted the silencing spell on Pansy. "Bella, see to it that they get home safely. They will not be returning to Hogwarts. Explain the situation to their parents and all others within my command whose offspring are in Slytherin."

Bella bowed to Voldemort and ushered the students over to fireplace. In a flash of green flame they were gone.

"We must..." Voldemort began. A resounding crack silenced him and for a moment complete astonishment froze him to the very spot before his wand was in his hand and several things happened at once...

* * *

Three Hours Previously

Hermione sat on the floor in the room of requirement ignoring the pain in her side and sobbing uncontrollably. The cauldron in front of her bubbled, purple smoke snaking from its centre. She peered into the liquid that had taken ten days to prepare and watched through her tears as it cleared. She dropped Harry Potter's glasses, that he hadn't worn since fifth year, into the mirror like substance. For a moment nothing happened, then a picture began to emerge. Twisting stone walls that moved slowly until a wooden door came into view. She waved her wand and the map on the surface of the dense liquid became solid.

She picked it up and vanished the cauldron. Grabbing her bag resting beside her she heaved herself to her feet and covered herself in Harry's invisibility cloak.

The journey to her destination was long and painful. By the time she reached the door in the bowels of Hogwarts Dungeons she was panting, her brow covered in sweat. The door swung open with a simple 'Alohomora' and she stepped inside.

"_Hermione!_" A cold voice hissed.

Hermione cut the chains that shackled him to the stone wall. Then she was holding him in her arms, crying afresh for the wounds that littered his half naked body. "I couldn't find you, the Marauders Map was _useless_. I had to do a complicated version of a scribing spell."

Harry stared down at her. His eyes had changed she thought. They were darkest moss green now, almost black, showing nothing of his feelings in their dark shadowy depths. His face was pinched with pain and stark white, his sharp bone structure seeming to stretch the skin covering it to its very limits. On its left side there was a long livid blood encrusted welt running diagonally from his temple to the base of his chin. It stood out against his skin grotesquely.

He had been taller than her since the sixth year and his body still had the awful underfed look that gave him a misleading air of vulnerability. But now he looked emaciated. If one were to look closer though they would see the lean tight muscles of his upper arms and thighs, the perfectly flat stomach that was corded steel.

The way he looked now, she thought, if she didn't know him to his very heart, he would simply terrify her. She pulled his head down and gave him a hard kiss on his mouth. "It's time, Harry." She said tightly as a wave of pain ripped through her.

She kissed him again as she saw terror flit across his eyes and when she pulled back it had vanished to be replaced by frozen dark orbs reflecting nothing but her face. As weak as he should have been by his ordeal he suddenly swung her up into his arms as if she weighed nothing at all. He buried his face in her neck for a long moment.

"We'll go to the Chamber of Secrets." He rasped, his voice rusty from screaming.

Hermione threw the invisibility cloak over them.

* * *

Harry sat rocking back and forth on the floor in the Chamber of Secrets, a piece of parchment gripped tightly in one hand; A cold dead hand in the other. He stared at the bloodied body of Hermione and her lifeless eyes. He looked at the parchment. Then back at the body. He stood up taking her wand and gathered everything he needed. Further into the chamber there was one of many stone columns decorated by snakes. Using her wand he hissed at it and a large stone slid out of the structure. On returning to Hermione he cast a cleansing charm on her body removing all traces of blood and then a feather light charm. He scooped her up. Once the invisibility cloak had settled over them he made his way out of chamber.

He walked passed the chaos of senior 'trusted' students running around searching for 'The Boy Who Lived' and Granger. He passed Professors snapping out orders and Dumbledore, whose face was enraged. He walked passed Ronald Weasley and certain members of the Order of the Phoenix who were burned indelibly into his brain.

He walked to the entrance of Dumbledore's quarters, whispered a password that Hermione had given him and rode the stairs up to the empty office. Fawkes remained sleeping as he stood still, looking around and wondering where to start. Until he was suddenly drawn by an irresistible frisson of dark power. In a large solid Onyx box, hidden in the bottom of a locked floor to ceiling glass cabinet, they sang to him. The locks gave easily under his spell. His hand shook as he opened the smooth black box, his skin tingling and body tightening as he transferred its contents into Hermione's bottomless bag. He put the onyx box back just as it was and relocked the cabinet. As he turned and stood he noticed a glint. He took the Sword of Griffindor from its resting place next to the Sorting Hat on a cluttered shelf, and dropped it into the bag. He spread the books and scrolls about to fill in the space it left. He was about to search for his wand when Fawkes rustled his feathers. Harry paused under his cloak. He wouldn't be needing it anymore anyway.

He made his way out of Hogwarts and walked through the icy crispy snow, ignoring the sting to his feet, to the outskirts of the Forbidden Forest, once there he pulled off the invisibility cloak, dropped it into Hermione's bottomless bag, and held up her wand.

* * *

_Bella bowed to Voldemort and ushered the students over to fireplace. In a flash of green flame they were gone._

_"We must..." Voldemort began. A resounding crack silenced him and for a moment complete astonishment froze him to the very spot before his wand was in his hand and several things happened at once._

Snape shouted, _Potter!_ In disbelief. Narcissa screamed shrilly and Lucius dove in front of Harry, taking the Crucio that blasted from the end of Voldemort's wand. He screamed as the strength of it tore through him, catapulting him several feet away.

Voldemort immediately ended the curse and threw another powerful Crucio at the Brat that hit a barrier momentarily turning the invisible shield pale blue before it bounced harmlessly away. He narrowed his eyes studying the picture before him. A bloodied, bare footed, _Harry Potter,_ wearing only a pair of black trousers. His gaunt features were white and his moss coloured eyes reflected a hint of frozen shock. He was holding the body of the mudblood in his arms. Voldemort took a step closer to him and frowned as he felt a heavy disturbance in the air. A... recognition of power and...

"_Harry?_" Narcissa whispered into the deafening silence. "How..."

Harry stared at Voldemort, looking at him curiously. "May I speak." He asked calmly.

Voldemort nodded abruptly. "_It will not save you, Brat._" He hissed, his wand pointing straight at him.

Harry smiled and the welt across his face cracked, blood oozing from its edges. "I'm counting on it." He said in a raspy voice. "I have a letter for Lord and Lady Malfoy from Draco, in the event of anything... happening to him. It is in the bag on my arm. Lady Malfoy, reach in and think of it and it will be there." As Lucius came to stand by her side, Harry raised a brow. "Thank you, for 'protecting' me. I cannot imagine why you did it... but... thank you."

"You attempted to protect my son with your life." Lucius said stiffly. "That is enough to warrant my protection."

Harry frowned slightly and resumed looking at Voldemort, staring into the blood red eyes that studied him. His nemesis was taller than him. And much broader. His eyes boldly skimmed the slim figure outlined by the soft folds of material from his black winged sleeve robe. The cut of its low wide neck exposed the snowy skin of his throat and collarbones, an expanse of shoulder. In the light of the room he seemed to... glow. It was... fascinating. Harry's eyes fixated on the sheen of the pearly smooth skin.

Narcissa's sharp indrawn breath made him blink slowly and alerted him to the fact that she and Lucius had finished reading the letter.

"I'm going to drop the shield." He said to Voldemort, wondering at his shocked expression. He placed Hermione gently on the ground and slowly pulled her wand from his sleeve. "Draco keyed Hermione's wand into the Malfoy wards and to the magical signature of Lady Malfoy. It was a fail safe for her if she ever needed it. It's how I come to be in this room. I'm using her wand. They took mine from me." He waved it and his shield dropped along with a disillusionment charm. A small bunched bundle of soft blankets appeared laying across Hermione's chest.

Harry levitated it into Narcissa's waiting arms still looking at Voldemort. "I delivered him not an hour ago. He is early, by three weeks. I have checked him. He is healthy. I put him into a light sleep that will last until he is fed."

Harry walked slowly towards the Dark Lord until he was a mere foot away from the man who had wanted to kill him for a _very_ long time. He held out the wand to him and Voldemort took it in one slim pale hand, the long fingers curling around the wood.

"Explain." Voldemort said showing no reaction to the events whatsoever.

From the periphery of his vision he could see Snape running his wand over the bundle in Narcissa's arms and Lucius staring down at it with reverent look on his face. Harry turned slightly so they were no longer in his sights. Instead

he stared intently at Voldemort, feeling the same frisson of dark power that he had in Dumbledore's office. He looked deep into red eyes, so close, he could see that the colour was solid, blood red solid, and they were promising him everything that he wanted...

"Draco was soul bonded to Hermione last year. I was their witness. The only person who knew." He said to Voldemort.

"But..." Snape began, looking up from the missive he was now reading. "Dumbledore, _everyone,_ thinks it was _you_ having an affair with Draco."

Harry narrowed his eyes for a moment, not taking them from the solid red wells of promise in front of him. '_Sssnape isss yoursss now?_' He hissed. '_It isss imperative that nothing getsss back to Dumbledore_.'

Voldemort nodded shortly, refusing to show any shock at the Brat's use of Parselmouth. He glared at Snape who was not showing any surprise at hearing it, just a mild disgust. Something _else_ he had obviously neglected to tell his Lord!

'_Sssince the murder of his Godssson, yesss_. _You can ssspeak freely_. _He will not be returning to Hogwartsss jussst yet. He may not sssurvive to return at all!_'

Harry stayed focused on Voldemort as he answered Snape. "Their misapprehension suited my purpose which was to keep Hermione safe until the birth of Draco's child. In soul bonding each knew it meant their own death if the other were to die. Knowing it could end badly for either of them once the Light, or the Dark, became aware of their relationship... they decided that to live without the other was impossible for them. Hermione falling pregnant was a shock. We kept her condition secret with a charm. When Draco... fell, I knew that the only thing keeping Hermione alive was the baby and that once it was born she too would slip away..." He stopped and his lips tightened slightly.

"You could have been killed trying to save Draco's life." Lucius said as if he didn't understand. "You took curses meant for him, you tried to take the final killing curse."

"He was attacked because of his association with _me._" Harry sneered. "If the Order were in danger of killing their _Saviour_, I figured they would stop. I was wrong. Dumbledore murdered Draco when he saw that I was prepared to die for him. The look of complete horror on his face when I stepped in front of the curse would have been worth losing my life for. Draco should _not_ have pushed me back.

"Every night I would meet Hermione from the room of requirement. That's where she and Draco spent time together. She would leave under my invisibility cloak. I would spend an hour or two with Draco and we would leave together. That night she left as usual. She must have come across Wesley, Dumbledore and the others and followed them back. As we came out of the room the Order started firing, she pulled her wand. Draco stunned her to keep her safely out of the battle. They were none the wiser, they thought she was with them.

"Weasley had told Dumbledore _I_ was having an affair with Draco. He had followed me for several nights to see me enter the room, and then later leave it with Draco. What he didn't see was that as I entered, Hermione left under the cloak. Draco and I were very friendly. Had been for over two years. We considered ourselves brothers. But to the whole school we still presented ourselves as enemies knowing that neither side would find it _acceptable_. Ron put two and two together and came up with the theory that we were lovers. They all assumed I had been... turned... to the dark." Harry smiled.

Voldemort felt a delicious shiver run down his spine at the sight of that smile. It promised so many things, and none of them good. He curbed his sudden gleeful excitement. He ran his eyes over the Brat's chest noting the bruises, the wounds, the cuts... the long welts. They were on his arms as well and he had no doubt that if he turned, they would be all over his back. And his face... the lash of a whip. His eyes slid back to the chest and stomach. Suddenly the Brat turned a slow full circle. His back was covered in whiplash wounds.

"Harry, he's perfect." Narcissa breathed. "_Just perfect! _He is the image of Draco when he was born."

"Is he." Harry said in a cold voice, still staring at Voldemort. He suddenly thrust his face forward, his expression intent. "I have the means to give you everything that you ever wanted in life by the end of this day. Including Hogwarts, Dumbledore, and _myself_. I solemnly swear on my magic that I will not fight you in any way and you can kill me on the spot when you have in your hands all that I can to give you. I ask one favour from you in return."

"Continue." Voldemort said, returning the steady stare, again hiding his growing excitement.

"I want to bury Hermione, who was a sister to me, with Draco. It was her last wish. Will you allow me to?"

Without waiting for his Lord to answer, Lucius walked over and swept Hermione's body up in his arms. "Come with me, Harry, Draco is buried down by the lake." He strode from the room ignoring Voldemort, but Harry waited until, with narrowed calculating eyes, Voldemort gave him a slight nod. He then followed Lucius, his step slightly forced his frame rigid.

"Severus please take my Grandson." Narcissa handed the sleeping baby over. "I will go with Lucius and Harry. Mudblood or no, My son's wife who has borne my grandson and freely given her life to be with Draco in death deserves my last respects. Call the house elves if you need anything or wish for some Lunch. My Lord." She bowed her head and left the room, her whole demeanour much stronger than when she had entered it.

"The boy is _strong_." Voldemort said thoughtfully. Walking to the corner of the room and picking up Lucius' broken wand. He studied it and put it in his pocket.

"Yes, he is fine." Severus smiled down at his charge. "His name is to be Abraxas, Lucius, Draconus, Malfoy, as stated in Draco's missive."

"_I was not speaking of the babe, Severus!_" Voldemort snapped irritably. "The Brat! Potter! _He_ is strong."

"He is skin and bone." Severus dismissed.

"Is he." Voldemort tapped his wand to his teeth in displeasure. "Look closer when he returns. And you may have forgotten that he has just undergone ten days of torture, sleep deprivation and little food and water. He is here, walking, talking, and thinking. And his _hate_..." Voldemort's tongue whipped out of his mouth and swiped through the air before disappearing. "_I can still taste it_."

Severus shivered and lowered his eyes at the sight. "I thought he was in shock. He is acting strangely considering his... losses." He shivered again as an image of the last time he had seen Potter swept across his mind. "He should at least be showing some adverse effects of his treatment under Dumbledore's hands."

Unable to contain himself any longer, Voldemort suddenly gave a high gleeful laugh. "Dumbledore has done it _again_! He has made a _second_ mistake! _I_ being his first, and now his Boy-who-Lived! Oh what a fool. What a blind, stupid, fool! And Potter has delivered himself into _my_ hands. Sworn on his _magic_ no less to _allow_ me to kill him! Is _giving_ me everything I ever wanted!" Voldemort turned on his heel and stalked to the door. "I will postpone the meeting until tonight. I want to hear what the Brat is offering me without interruption! Get him cleaned up and dressed!"

* * *

When Harry returned to the room, Voldemort was sitting fastidiously sipping tea from a delicate china cup and nibbling a biscuit. Harry smiled at the strange picture it made. His manners were impeccable, his whole demeanour one of lazy elegance as he put his cup down and wiped his lips with a napkin.

Harry had showered carefully, hissing as the gentle sprays of hot water had felt like a power hose and perfumed soap had stung his wounds and skin as if he were scouring it. As he had no wand there was nothing he could do to ease his discomfort, and when he'd had Hermione's, he was too...shocked to think about it. When he had finished, a pile of clothes had been waiting for him. He was dressed in boots belonging to Draco, a silver and green shirt belonging to Draco and black trousers belonging to Draco. His hair was sleek and tied back in a short pony tail and he smelt of a tangy citrus aftershave belonging to Draco. It all felt... comforting.

He walked over to Hermione's bag and lifted it before, at the Dark Lord's gesture, he sat down in the comfortable armchair opposite him.

Narcissa, Lucius, and Severus were settling Abraxas into Draco's old nursery. Narcissa had asked him to join them, but he had declined, saying he didn't want to keep the Dark Lord waiting. As the silence stretched between them a hiss drew Harry's attention to the windowsill where a large snake was curled. _Nagini_. Harry pulled the Sword of Griffindor from Hermione's bag.

"Tea, _Brat?_" Voldemort drawled.

Harry looked up and saw the tip of a wand pointed between his eyes. He smiled. "Gods, _Please_." He nodded to the Sword. "This is a gift for... _Nagini_." He laid it carefully down on the large coffee table that stood off to the side of them.

Voldemort stared at the sword. Once he had coveted it. "I am sure _Nagini_ will treasure it." He said sarcastically.

"She should." Harry said easily. "It is imbued with Basilisk Poison. I'm certain you realise what that means. It is probably the only weapon that can kill her."

Voldemort sat down, keeping his wand trained on him. He narrowed his eyes on the Brat. He was finding him... interesting. He was nothing like the simpering idiot he had possessed years ago. And, as he stared into deceptively blank eyes, he had a feeling that Severus had been right to fear him.

"You know of the Horcruxes." He said evenly. He obviously knew Nagini was one anyway. He kept his sudden anxiety firmly hidden.

"Yes, fascinating concept. Dumbledore believes it diminishes the soul, and that it has made you insane and incapable of feeling. But as Aristotle said; 'No excellent soul is exempt from a mixture of madness'. And I believe you feel everything just as you did _before_ you split your soul. Only now it's far more _intensified_. Anger, fury, pain, hurt, fear. Even Love, whether it be for your snake, or magic, or power. However, only you really know so it's a mute point isn't it."

The red eyes just stared him, solid blocks of colour in a pearly face. Such a stark contrast, Harry thought, caught up in the look of skin and features. Well shaped thin lips, a flattened nose and smooth brow. His enemy, face to face, not frightening, not making him want to reach for the nearest weapon. Just peaceful really. It was over, everything was over and _finally_ _he_ had a choice... Harry shook himself and swayed slightly.

"These are for _you_." He went back into the bag and pulled out a Ring, a Diadem, a Locket, and a Cup. The dark power emanating from them again affected Harry, making his body tighten and his skin sing.

"Dumbledore was going to destroy them all as you finally attacked Hogwarts. He thinks it will weaken you as well as making you 'mortal'." Harry explained softly, stroking the locket lovingly. He suddenly snatched his hand away, looking up into a completely empty face and solid red eyes reflecting nothing. He frowned, not sure why he felt... inexpressively sad about it. "I-I'm sorry." He cleared his throat. "Griffindor's Sword was going to be used to kill Nagini."

Voldemort suddenly sheathed his wand and snapped his fingers. A cup of tea appeared. Harry picked it up, closed his eyes and gulped until the cup was empty. Then he coloured as he remembered the refined manners of Voldemort. "Sorry," he said again, putting the cup down. "Have you read this book?" He pulled 'Tales of Beadle the Bard' from Hermione's bag. "You probably have. Specifically 'The Tale of The Three Brothers'." He handed the book over to Voldemort.

A pot of tea appeared on the table. Harry stared at it for a moment then looked at Voldemort. Then back at the pot. "Is that for _me?_" He asked, astonished.

"I see no other Brat dying of thirst in this room." Voldemort said his eyes fixed on him. He watched as he drank cup after cup of the stuff until the pot was empty. He noticed that the welt was slightly less livid... but his face was still white and pinched. "Your wounds have not been tended to?" He asked suddenly.

Harry shook his head. "No, but it doesn't matter..."

"_SEVERUS!_" Voldemort roared.

Within a minute Snape appeared, slightly out of breath.

"_Why have you not tended the Brat's wounds!_" Voldemort snapped. "He is covered in them or were you so enamoured with the babe that you did not see them!"

For a moment Snape looked dumbfounded. "I was not aware that I was to tend to them, My Lord. You gave no order..."

"_Crucio!_"

Snape dropped to his knees. "_The Brat is starved, dehydrated and in pain._" He hissed. "I told you to get him cleaned up! Tend to him now. And tell our _hosts_ that if he is not properly fed and watered _within the hour_ their joy at the arrival of their grandson, that the Brat delivered by himself while his sister was _dying_, will be extremely _short lived!_"

"Yes, My Lord. Potter, come with me." Snape said, staggering to his feet.

Harry rose and looked at Voldemort questioningly. For a long moment they locked eyes then Harry gave the slightest nod of his head and followed Snape to the door.

"_I want him back here in an hour, Severus!_" The Dark Lord spat. "You will all be sorry if he is not."

As soon as he was alone he reached for his Horcruxes, his hands shaking uncontrollably. He put the ring on his finger, he put the locket around his neck and he shrank the Cup and Diadem, sealing them into an inside pocket of his robe. He hissed for Nagini. _'Come here my pet.' _

The snake slid off its resting place and slithered over to her master. She curled herself around his body, her head resting on his chest as he stroked her. Slowly his fear began to lessen and his shaking stopped. It explained the strange disturbance in the air he had felt when the Brat had first arrived. It had been his Horcruxes. He gave a short bitter laugh.

'_The sssword on the table isss a presssent for you from the Brat, Nagini. It is the Sssword of Griffindor._'

_'I would have preferred a fat rat.' She flicked her tongue out. 'What isss it Massster. You are upssset.'_

'_Dumbledore has been busssy, my Pet. If not for the Brat we could have d... if not for the Brat we...'_ But he couldn't finish the sentence. '_He hasss given usss the inssstrumentsss that Dumbledore meant to harm usss with when we took Hogwarts.'_

_Nagini spat. Her head bobbing up and down in anger. 'He wasss going to kill me with that sssword!'_

_'He wasss going to try. I would not let any harm come to you pet. And now he no longer hasss the meansss to hurt usss.'_

_'Becaussse of thisss Brat you ssspeak of.'_

_'Yesss, becaussse of the Brat.'_

Voldemort shivered involuntarily at what might have been and took comfort in the weight pressing against him as he stroked Nagini. _The Brat_. He was unafraid and openly curious... Voldemort hadn't legilimised him... yet, he didn't need to. The Brat's thoughts reached him as if whispered in his ear. His fascination with his... skin, and the way his eyes had ran over his _body_ earlier had... _shocked_ him. If anyone else had dared to look at him in that manner... But no one ever would have dared. That was the point. No one would _want_ to. Unless it was with fascinated horror and eventual terror as he ripped their eyes out.

And the Brat's regret at the thought of his Horcruxes being destroyed... that was odd. _He_ _was odd_. And he was different. He was quite right about the soul, but he would not confirm. However, for him to have come up with theory of it... Voldemort picked up the book the Brat had given him and wondered why he wanted him to read about the Deathly Hallows. For there could be no other reason he wanted him to read the tale of the three brothers. No one really believed in the legendary items, except him. And now obviously the Brat.

Exactly an hour later Harry entered the room again and retook his seat.

_'Thisss isss the Brat?'_ Nagini hissed, her head bobbing in Harry's direction and her tongue tasting the air.

"Hey!" Harry said indignantly, greatly admiring the picture the two made; the terrifying wizard with his terrifying snake curled around him. It was dark and Gothic and... captivating.

"You have eaten." Voldemort queried throwing the book on the table. He studied the nodding boy. His face wasn't pinched with pain and he had a slightly better colour in his cheeks. The slight look of numb shock remained, but considering he had only escaped his torturers mere hours ago _and_ had lost his mudblood it was hardly surprising. Strong indeed. Satisfied he resumed his petting of Nagini. "I have reacquainted myself with the tale."

"I am related to Ignotus Peverell." Harry said getting straight to the point as he pulled the invisibility cloak from Hermione's bag and passed it Voldemort. "This is for you. It has been handed down for generations. My father left it in Dumbledore's keeping, though how, I don't know. I think Dumbledore must have just taken it after you had killed him. I can assure you that it is _the_ Invisibility Cloak. _You_ are related to Cadmus Peverell." Harry looked at the ring, that was now on Voldemort's finger, meaningfully. "The Deathly Hallows was Hermione's pet project. She says... said, your ring holds the Resurrection Stone. And if she says it does, you can trust that she is... was right."

Voldemort said nothing as he fingered the Invisibility Cloak. He looked at the stone in his ring, ran a slim white finger over it. Nagini slid off his lap unnoticed. "Tell me, did the fool _touch_ any of my Horcruxes."

"No, he said they were cursed and couldn't be touched until he destroyed them. He levitated them when he found them. When I stole them from his office, that didn't cross my mind. Harry frowned. "So I guess he was wrong about that."

"Indeed." Voldemort said staring at Harry. "As you touch them with ease." He steepled his fingers deep in thought. "And the Elder Wand?" He asked eventually, his voice giving none of his feelings away.

"That is the one thing I don't have but will make sure you get." Harry said. "Dumbledore has it. All you have to do is disarm him and the wand will recognise you as its new master. It will not work for _you_ if it is taken by any other. _You_ have to beat Dumbledore to own it."

"You are _certain_ it is the Elder Wand, Brat." Voldemort ignored the heavy thumping of his heart as it sped up.

"Oh yes." Harry said, his eyes darkening. "He told me your ring had an interesting setting. I'm wondering now if he knew what it was."

Voldemort hummed fingering his ring again. "So, I must ensure when we take Hogwarts, that during the battle none other accidentally disarms Dumbledore."

"That won't happen. I can get you into Hogwarts and into his office, face to face. _Tonight_. With forty odd Death Eaters you can take Hogwarts without an army, or a full scale battle, or involving the students. Most of The Order of the Phoenix are there patrolling because they believe I took Hermione. They also believe I'm still in the Castle somewhere and will be after Ron next. _You_ won't be on their radar. You will have the element of surprise. They will be _totally_ blind-sided. You already own the Ministry, so you can make sure that any 'distress calls' they may get, are ignored."

"And _why,_ Harry Potter, are you doing this. Giving _me_ the Deathly Hallows, handing _me_ Dumbledore and the Order on a plate. This morning, apart from Dumbledore, you were my greatest enemy. Yet now... you are giving me everything. Even yourself."

Voldemort watched the steady mossy green eyes, that were staring into his, darken until they were nearly black, making them stark in the pale stretched skin of his face. He realised that, apart from himself, _everyone_ should fear this boy... this man. His taste was... so dark and again... _interesting_. He watched a pink tongue dart out and moisten pale lips as they parted. The Brat leaned towards him straining his neck forward as if he wanted to be closer...

"Because I want to him lose everything, _everything_." He breathed. "And I want him to know that it was _me_ who made it happen." Their eyes locked and promises were made and sealed. It was a hypnotic moment. Suddenly Nagini's head shot up between the Brat's legs and smacked him under the chin. Voldemort smiled as the 'moment' was well and truly broken.

"Ouch!" Harry looked down as Nagini's body began to wind around his waist. "Is she going to kill me?"

"You do not seem too concerned by the prospect." Voldemort said putting the cloak on the table.

"I'm not. Hey! Stop that!" Nagini's tongue was flicking all over his face. Harry could again feel the dark power singing to him. The frisson that tightened his skin and body. He stroked a hand along the snake's scales wondering idly why he was so drawn to the Horcruxes. "You are a real beauty." He said mesmerised.

'_The strange Brat has no fear, Master._' Nagini hissed. '_And no meat on its bones. I could crush it by merely sneezing._'

"Thanks." Harry said drily. He stroked the part of her body that was wound around his chest admiring her markings and the green sheen of her skin. She seemed to hum against him. He got more comfortable and closed his eyes his head resting on her coils. She made him feel safe and secure and if that wasn't the _weirdest_ thing... He was starting to get tired as the adrenaline that had kept him going since Draco's death seemed to be draining out of him fast.

"Brat, why did you not take the Hallow's for yourself and simply kill Dumbledore. Even possibly win this war for the Light." Voldemort asked staring at the hard tired face, the dark rings becoming visible under his eyes.

Harry laughed but didn't bother opening his eyes. "No thanks. It's your war. Yours and Dumbledore's. I want him to know _I_ gave _you_ the tools to _win_ it. That will hurt him far more than me killing him would. He's just spent ten days torturing me because he was so afraid I was going to join you. And frankly, I don't give a fuck about the war. Never did really. You two dragged me in and gave me no choice. Everyone should have a choice. My _choice_ would have been to be neutral. I don't like _weak_. You are both ruled by prejudice and 'prejudice is the child of ignorance'. His is you and the Dark. Yours is his treatment of you at Hogwarts and the way you were treated by your family and the orphanage in the muggle world. And you _were_ treated like dirt, so was I.

"You burned your childhood down. You 'removed' the muggles responsible. You should have let it go then. Instead you let them take away who you truly are, a genius, a great Wizard destined to do great things. Your resentment and anger and hatred stole your true power. You could have been revered by now. You could have proven Dumbledore wrong and have been ruling this country for _years_ and it would be strong and prosperous. Instead it's _weak_. In my humble opinion of course." He opened his eyes and grinned without humour.

Voldemort was staring at him with an odd expression on his face.

"Sorry." Harry said drily. "No one has ever bothered to ask my opinion, not that you did really."

"And Your parents? Having the Hallows would have given you the opportunity for revenge. I did murder them after all."

"Yeah, so Dumbledore keeps reminding me. But... _Choice_. _They_ had one. They chose Dumbledore and war. Maybe they should have _chosen_ their son." He shook his head. "Perhaps you should stop asking me questions. None of this stuff is relevant to you getting the Hallows. I've already told you _why _I want to give _you_ them. Nothing else matters does it. Did you know that you glow?"

"Glow?"

"Yeah, your skin. It catches the light and glows... real soft, not like _luminous_ or anything. Maybe glow is too strong a word. Shimmers...?" Harry said staring at Voldemort's shoulder.

"Perhaps you should go and rest." Voldemort said narrowing his eyes. The green orbs were wandering all over the exposed parts of his body again, with that fascinated look.

"No, no point. We'll be going to Hogwarts tonight. After that I will be getting all the 'rest' I'll ever need." Harry closed his eyes again and settled against Nagini.

"You are so ready to die, Brat." Voldemort stated.

Harry didn't speak for a long time. He just stroked Nagini. Eventually he said: "'_In the consciousness of the truth he has perceived, man now sees everywhere only the awfulness or the absurdity of existing, and loathing seizes him'_."

Voldemort was glad the Brat's eye were closed so he didn't see his surprised pleasure. "Philosophy interests you?"

Harry shrugged a shoulder. "It did. There seemed little point to it as I wouldn't live long enough to learn all I wanted, read all I wanted, know all I wanted. It... pained me knowing that. But it didn't work, I couldn't keep away from it. My will is weak."

"Brat. 'I assess the power of a will by how much resistance, pain, _torture_, it endures and knows how to turn to its advantage'." The Brat's eyes opened for a second then closed again. He looked inordinately pleased.

"You would. Are we going to quote Nietzsche to each other for the rest of the day? Or do you prefer Plato, 'Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil'; Or yourself. '_There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it_'."

"Are you mocking me, Brat." Voldemort drawled.

"No – I've just never forgotten it." He gave a small laugh. "How could I?"

"Do you have a favourite?"

"Ah, well – that would be telling. I found his tome quite by chance. He was the one who... started it all for me. I was twelve. In my opinion, _he_ is the greatest of all. If I had a choice before me to burn the Hallows or burn the book... the Hallows really would fall into legend."

There was silence for long minutes as Voldemort just stared at the Brat who was wrapped around Nagini as much as she was wrapped around him. Burn the Hallows for a book... somehow he believed the Brat would do just that. With his eyes closed, he couldn't tell what he was thinking. And he _wanted_ to know. He couldn't remember when he had found anyone quite so... interesting. Except maybe Lucius, but that was long gone. Since his transformation their friendship had dwindled, and now with Draco's death and his _former_ inability to act...

"Is there anything else in your bag of tricks for me?" Voldemort asked loudly. Making the Brat jump, and trying not to sound as if today wasn't all his Christmas' rolled into one.

Harry laughed picking up on the Dark Lord's excitement. "Yes. Actually there is." He went to put his hand into the bag but Nagini suddenly shot her head into it. "Oi! Get out of there!" He said slightly panicked as her long body began to unwind from his and disappear into its depths.

"Voldemort! _Your snake!_ I don't know where this bag goes!" He tried to grab hold of her with both hands and halt her descent. "_Aargh!_" He lurched to the side as her tail slapped him sharply across face. "Come out, Nagini!" He yelled as the welt on his cheek began to bleed again. He wrestled the body for a full minute holding onto her with all his strength as she thrashed about knocking him back and forth. "COME OUT!"

"Potter." Voldemort drawled. Watching the boy with raised non-existent brows. "Perhaps if you explicated your concerns to her in a terminology she can fully discern, she would acquiesce with your wishes."

"_What!_ – _what did you just say!_" Harry shouted, as he was thrown to the left "Have you had just swallowed a bloody dictionary! _Explicated_... What!"

"Speak to her in Parselmouth, you idiot." Voldemort said, highly amused. And it struck him that he couldn't remember the last time _anything_ had amused him. He liked the way the Brat had called him just _Voldemort_. He liked the way he didn't cower when he looked at him. He liked the way he stared him straight in the eye showing no hint of fear or disgust at his appearance. He liked the curiosity he could see, and the Brat found him... fascinating.

_'Come out of there, Nagini. It could be dangerousss!'_ Harry hissed furiously.

_'No!'_

_'What?!'_

_'No!'_

"_Voldemort! _ I can't hold on to her any longer. She's slipping away from me."

Something in the Brat's voice made Voldemort look at him sharply. He was stark white again, his face bloodied and his dark green eyes, for the first time since his arrival, showed fear. '_Nagini!_' Voldemort hissed.

The snake stopped struggling and began to emerge from the bag. Harry sat back in relief breathing heavily. When her head finally appeared she looked at him, her tongue flickering around his face. _'Now I tassste fear. Your odd Brat feared for __me,__ Massster.' _She curled up in Harry's lap and rested her head on his chest._ 'You may pet me.'_ She hissed imperiously.

'_Oh may I._' Harry said, his hand trembling slightly as he lifted it to her head. _'Don't go in there again, I don't know where it goesss. Hermi... Hermione would know, itsss her bag you sssee. Ssshe knew __everything__. But I don't.'_

_'Where isss ssshe.' _Nagini hissed.

Harry stroked her head his face blank, his eyes unseeing. '_Ssshe ssslipped away from me thisss morning_.'

'_Ssshe isss in the bag?_'

Harry looked at the snake and smiled sadly.

"Come here, Brat." Voldemort said gesturing with his hand. Harry hefted the snake off his lap and into his armchair as he stood and walked over to the Dark Lord. He leaned down at another gesture from the hand. Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at Harry's face. The Brat showed no reaction to it at all. Just waited. Voldemort healed the welt that had split open when Nagini had swacked him with her tail, and cast a cleansing charm to remove the blood from his face.

He sheathed his wand and looked back up at the Brat who was still leaning over him, staring down with that intense quizzical look in his eyes, as if he couldn't understand his actions. He opened his mouth to speak just as the door opened.

"_CRUCIO!_" Bella screamed, and Harry lifted in the air to fly across to the other side of the room. He hit the wall feeling firstly his Radius bone snap in half, and then the blood-curdling pain of the curse as it roared through his veins. He hit the floor face down breaking his nose. Every muscle and joint in his body locked including his jaw that was half open. _Never_ had he felt anything like this. Mad-eye and Dumbledore's Crucio's did not come _close_. His last coherent thought as he felt blood trickle from the side of his mouth was that all in all, this had been a really bad fucking day. Then there was nothing but agony and screaming and agony...

.

'

**Authors note:** Chapter two up shortly. Let me know what you think of it so far...


	2. Chapter 2

**Warning:** This Story contains **SLASH**, **LV/HP** if this offends _please_ do not read.

******Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to JK Rowling

_'Parseltongue'_

**Warning:** Swearing

An Unwise Murder

Chapter Two

..

_Never_ had he felt anything like this. Mad-eye and Dumbledore's Crucio's did not come _close_. His last coherent thought as he felt blood trickle from the side of his mouth was that all in all, this had been a really bad fucking day. Then there was nothing but agony and screaming and agony...

.

_Harry screamed in agony as the torturous hands started yet again. The whipping, the Crucio's. He had held it back for as long as he was able but it had become too much. Through the haze of pain he could see Dumbledore and Moody. Members of the Order. Ron. But it was Dumbledore he focused on. His one time annoying 'Grandfather'._

_Draco... the haunting look of surprised shock as the green light engulfed him... he had looked at Harry, his eyes wide, his hand stretched out to him, and then... he had slipped away from him... and Harry had shrivelled in horror knowing that in that one moment he had lost everything... everything... Draco was dead, signing Hermione's death certificate... The scar on his forehead had roared into life enveloping him in screaming red darkness. It filled him up and rushed through his body in an intense wave of heat... Draco was dead... Hermione was dead...his 'Grandfather' was dead..._

_The red darkness was accepted and it settled within him and Draco was dead..._

_Signing the death certificates of the Order, Ron, Dumbledore, and Hermione, all in that one moment..._

_And killing The-Boy-Who-Lived._

"_DON'T TOUCH ME!" _Harry screamed, knocking the heavy hands away from him. A jar of ointment flew across the room. He jerked upright, looking around dazedly. He was in a bed, in a large shadowed room he didn't recognise.

"Potter! Calm down." Snape's voice spoke, sounding irritated. "It is merely a balm for your muscles to prevent them from going into spasm and seizing. Your arm is only recently healed... "

"GET THE FUCK AWAY FROM ME!" Harry scrambled out of the bed registering screaming muscles and that all he had on was Draco's dark green, silk boxers. Draco was such a tart he thought and his breath caught in his throat, tears stung the backs of his eyes.

"GET OUT, GET OUT NOW!" He roared at Snape. The numb vacuum that had got him through the past ten days was disintegrating fast and he could feel so much emotion welling up in his chest that it was overwhelming. Tears started to roll down his cheeks. He pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes. "Get out, _get out_, GET OUT!"

Suddenly Snape strode out of the room closing the door behind him.

"_LESTRANGE, YOU FUCKING BITCH!"_ Harry roared raising clenched fists and shaking them. "_You fucking bitch... YOU BROKE ME! You bitch..._" He turned and saw himself in a mirror above what looked like a vanity unit. His nose was fixed but swollen, the livid welt stood proud from his skin... He pulled his fist back and punched it into the glass with all his strength, shattering his image. "_Fucking Bitch!_" He swiped the bottles and glass ornaments off the surface of the unit with a violent sweep of his arm. "_TEN FUCKING DAYS AND_ _DUMBLEDORE COULDNT DO IT! THAT UGLY GLASS EYED FUCK, MOODY, COULDNT DO IT. YOU DID IT! YOU DID IT!" _He found a large vase and threw it against the wall watching it explode. He became aware that he hurt, his legs, his arms, and his head. But far worse, his _heart_ _hurt_. He roared with rage again and picked up a heavy glass framed photo. As he was about to throw it at the window he noticed the face in it and froze... then he sat down heavily on the floor as his legs gave way. He leaned back against the wall and stroked his fingers over the grinning face, the perfect hair and the familiar wry expression in silver grey eyes. Slowly one of them winked at him.

"_Drake_." He choked. "_Drake._" He gave a strangled laugh. "Trust you to have a vanity unit in your room." He sniffed, wiping the tears from his face with his arm. "They're all going to die, I made sure of it. I've made all their worst nightmares come true. He's gonna be unstoppable. They're all going to die. I'll be seeing you soon bruv. I'll be seeing you both soon." He rested his head back against the wall hugging the frame to his chest and closed his eyes. "He's going to be invincible... I made sure of it, I'll see you soon..." Within moments he was fast asleep.

Voldemort took off the invisibility cloak he had donned as he had motioned for Severus to leave the room, and rose from the armchair in the corner of the large bedroom. Nagini tightened around him as he walked over to Harry and stared down at him deep in thought.

'_You are going to keep him._' She hissed.

'_Yesss, Nagini. I believe I ssshall_.'

He bent down and put the Photo back on the bedside table and picked the Brat up. A frisson of awareness shot through him and he frowned down at the Brat. He was too light. His skin was almost as white as his. His bones were sharp and pointy. He laid him on Draco's bed taking a long moment to stare at the thin body that was corded with slim barely discernible muscles. It was also littered with scars since being healed by Severus earlier. It only made the Brat even more interesting Voldemort thought with another frown. He covered him up. He waved his wand fixing the mirror and clearing the mess Harry had made. Then he healed the boy's bloodied knuckles. He sat in the chair by the bed getting comfortable. He had sat there as the afternoon had passed into night. Only moving every hour when Severus arrived to sit and rub the balm, specifically brewed for the after-effects of the more violent Cruciatus, into Potter's muscles. The healing sleep the Brat had been under had worn off sooner than expected. It should have lasted twelve hours.

Voldemort picked up his book and resumed reading.

'_He wissshesss to die._' Nagini hissed. '_He believesss __you__ are going to grant him that wisssh, Massster._'

'_Yesss, but one doesss not alwaysss get what one wishesss for in life, Nagini. Unlessss, of courssse, one isss Lord Voldemort._'

'_I will ressst next to the ssstrange Brat. If he becomesss unssstable again I ssshall sssmother him_.'

Voldemort laughed softly. Not looking up from his book. '_Jussst do not sssuffocate him, Pet_.'

As she settled herself half across Harry, half on the bed, she laid her head on his chest. "_I would not hurt him or allow othersss to. He isss usss._'

'_What do mean, Pet._' Voldemort looked up.

'_He hasss our esssence. I thought you knew._'

The book fell to the floor and Voldemort leaned forward driving into Harry's mind, searching... and then in an explosion of dark red light he saw it. It latched onto him as if it was home and for a moment he couldn't breathe. An indelible connection was made, and the Brat's mind became an open book to him. His whole life... As the images slamming into his mind became too much Voldemort pulled out and saw the lightning scar on Harry's forehead was glowing brightly with dark red light. Random images of torture and death were bouncing around his head and they were coming from a nightmare the Brat was having. Voldemort sat back breathing heavily.

He had been _unforgivably blind!_ _How_ _could_ he not have _known!_ The clues had all been there, plain to see, among them the Brother wands; being able to project images into the Brat's mind; feeling the Brat's pain; and this very day watching him touch his Horcruxes that were most certainly cursed! The Brat being able to speak Parselmouth! Fury roared through him with a force that made him dizzy. _Dumbledore!_ Of course the bastard had _known_ all along and... and hadn't killed the Brat... _Why_. Prophecy or not the probability of the Brat turning Dark and joining him had been tremendous... there would have been _two_ Dark Lord's, for the boy was strong, there was no question about that... and Dumbledore had had _all_ of his Horcruxes but he hadn't destroyed even one of them, _Why_. He could have made him mortal long ago... baited him into battle and _maybe_ along with the Order have defeated him. Especially as he had the Elder Wand... But he hadn't. He closed his eyes, thoughts and images swirling through his brain.

The Prophecy, _empowered_, when usually they just sat on a shelf in the Ministry gathering dust, forgotten and ignored. No Prophecy had power unless it was acted upon... and he had jumped at the bait like a first year student! A result, as the Brat had surmised, of the intensity of feeling since he had split his soul. That one being unreasonable paranoia. He had known if the Prophecy was ignored by him it would be completely powerless! So why had Dumbledore been so _keen_ to make sure he acted... '_I think he must have taken it after you had killed him...'_ 'It' being the Invisibility cloak and 'him' being the Brat's father!

After a moment of gathering his thoughts he leaned forward and pressed a long slim finger to the lightning scar. The dark frisson of recognition ran up his arm, making his skin tingle and his body tighten. It glowed red again and slowly he began to watch The Brat's life.

The Philosopher's stone deliberately brought to Hogwarts so _he_ would follow it. The diary in the Camber of Secrets. There was no way Dumbledore wouldn't have know such a dark object was within Hogwarts walls. The Triwizard cup, the Brat's name being pulled from the Goblet of Fire, and, he searched the memory harder. Saw a look of surprised pleasure quickly hidden on Dumbledore's face. When he had finished he shook his head.

"Marked for death as soon as you were _born_, Brat, by Dumbledore. You were right, you never had any choice at all." He said softly.

An hour and a half later Harry stirred. Pain, why was he always in pain? His body felt so heavy, as if weighted down... he tried to move and couldn't. Even his eyelids hurt as he tried to open them. His throat felt like sandpaper and the skin on his face was tight with dried tears.

"Just when I thought things couldn't get worse." He muttered. He needed to piss. The probability of him getting out of bed let alone making it to a bathroom was zero. He gave a small whimper.

_'What isss it ssstrange and odd Brat.'_ Nagini hissed, her head smacking into his face.

_'It'sss you weighing me down! Get off me, I hurt enough without you sssquashing me.'_

_'I am sssecuring you to the bed. You thrasssh about in nightmaresss.'_

_'Fine, Thank you, but you can get off me now.'_

_'No. I will not.'_

_'What are you doing here. Doesss your Massster know where you are. What time isss it. What'sss been happening. Isss it the next day. Hasss Voldemort gone to Hogwartsss without me. Will you eat Sssnape if he comesss back. Where isss the bathroom!'_

Harry chuckled painfully as the Snake spat at him and slid off his body. '_Never have I been ssso insssulted by sssuch an inane barrage of quessstionsss!_' She hissed venomously.

"I need to piss, you were making it worse." Harry muttered. He heaved himself up and rolled, hanging his legs off the side of the bed until his feet hit the floor. Slowly his body followed. He took three steps in the direction of a door he hoped was a bathroom. Then his screaming muscle seized. He froze where he was, panting shallowly, staring at his toes.

'_Nagini_.' he hissed. '_I'm going to be sssick! And I can't move!'_

Harry suddenly felt a strange tingling sensation throughout his body. He looked up and solid red eyes stared down at him. His bladder was empty and the urge to be sick had vanished. He was then levitated back onto the bed. He laid back in relief closing his eyes. He felt his face flushing and wished Nagini would swallow him whole. But the traitor was sleeping, or ignoring him, curled in a ball at the foot of the bed.

"I am going to fetch Severus. You will _behave_ when he arrives and allow him to administer the balm needed to heal your muscles _completely_. _Is that clear, Brat?_" Voldemort snapped. His head had been full of the Brat since he'd opened the doorway to his soul. It had been bad enough when he was having nightmares but now his random thoughts and the pain the Brat was in was grating on his nerves. He was going to have to develop a shield to keep him out of his head... _fast_.

"Yes. Thank you for... Thanks... Very much. Thanks." Harry trailed off and opened one eye. Voldemort was staring at him. His other eye opened and he got caught up in the red eyes and opalescent skin. The combination was just fascinating. Like drops of blood on Hogwarts snow as the moon shone and turned it into a sea of shimmering Mother of Pearl. What was that skin was like to touch. Was it warm, cold, as smooth as it looked. Would his fingers simply glide over the surface as easily as silk. "Have you been here all the time?" Harry asked suddenly.

Voldemort seemed to jolt slightly. "Most of it, Yes, sitting in that chair on the _other_ side of the bed. Reading a book about the Hallows." He cast a cleansing charm on the Brat's face and conjured him a large glass of water. The Boy's mouth hung open before he gulped it down. "I came in after you sent Severus out. He was Concerned. I found you sleeping on the floor." The Brat was worrying that he had seen his breakdown. He needn't know.

"I fell into the mirror." Harry blurted out with a flushed face "And stumbled around a bit. I think I broke some stuff."

"Yes so I saw. I cleaned the mess up, Brat. You also hurt your hand. I healed it."

"Thank you. And for the water. I was parched." He eyed Voldemort's hands contemplatively. They were slender and light and... beautiful. "Will _you_ put the balm on me. I mean just my back, I can do my front." He half expected Voldemort to explode and Avada Kedavra him then and there. But he didn't. He just stared at him. "I mean you're here anyway and Snape... it's just that I know he hates me, his hands are so _heavy_ and..." Harry shuddered. He couldn't stand the thought of the man touching him let alone rubbing his hands over him.

"All right. Turn over." Voldemort said, walking to the table and picking up the balm.

Harry rolled over and laid his head on his arms, hiding his happy shock. At the first touch of those fingers, that paused, were snatched back from him, then returned, so light as they rubbed and caressed, he closed his eyes. As with the Horcruxes, a frisson dark power sang out to him, making his skin tingle and his body tighten. He bit back a groan. Soon the heat from the balm was sinking into his sore muscles. He could literally feel each one relax as the cool hands slid over them. He nearly laughed as he imagined the picture they made. The great and terrible Lord Voldemort, the mere name of whom made thousands shrink back in terror, administering to his most famous enemy who was finding it hard not to purr.

He felt so... comfortable around Voldemort, and completely unafraid. He put it down to the fact that he had nothing to lose anymore. By this time tomorrow he would be dead by the very hands that were now running over his body. By the hands of a wizard he was fast finding hypnotic. It was poetic really. Whereas the thought of his death by the hands now stroking his sides had once saddened him, now the desire for it was paramount. Paramount to his plans, to his _burning need_ to strip Dumbledore of everything, _especially_ his 'Saviour of the Wizarding World'. If there was any justice, Voldemort would do it right under Dumbledore's nose, using the_ Elder Wand_, and the last thing Harry would see in those cursed twinkling eyes would be utter failure and despair.

"When are we going to take Hogwarts," He asked drowsily. "It would be good around ten o'clock in the evening, everyone will have had dinner and settled down."

"We will go tonight if you are able. If this balm is administered as it should be it will heal any damage within twelve hours."

"How many treatments have I had?" Harry asked.

"Nine. Two more should be more than enough."

"What's the time now?"

"Five o'clock in the morning."

"Tonight then, nine o'clock tonight. It will give you an hour to fine tune it in the room of requirement. I didn't get a chance to tell you but we will just walk into it from here. It's that simple. A two way cabinet, one is there, I've got the other one here." He yawned. "God you've got good hands."

Voldemort seemed to be searching out every single muscle in his back and sides. Harry was so relaxed he thought he may sink through the mattress. Two more times of those hands making him feel like this... Harry could live with that. A stolen pleasure, and not such a guilty one, before he left the world.

"Why did it _hurt_ so much. And why am I so _tired_ after hours and hours of sleep..."

"I believe that Bella's Crucio was 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. Her skill is unsurpassed even by myself in that particular spell. You have been tortured for ten days, mostly at night. You have had hardly any sleep, no real food or water. This balm is also healing residual muscle injuries that Dumbledore and certain Members of the Order subjected you to."

"Their Crucio's are _rubbish_ compared to Lestrange's. How do you know they tortured me at night?"

"I felt it when it became too much for your shields. You tried, but didn't always succeed in blocking it."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realise. I mean, I wondered, as we have this... thing. But wasn't sure if it was two-way."

"It is of no consequence, Brat. They will pay for... interrupting my sleep."

Harry smiled as his eyes closed and he gave himself up to those light slim hands. Oh they would pay all right. The tone of Voldemort's voice was soft and even, mesmerising. And anyone hearing it should be terrified.

~HPLV~

As it was, Harry fell back into the deepest sleep he'd ever had and didn't wake up again until early evening.

"What the hell happened to _you?_" Harry said, as he opened his eyes to see a swollen faced Bellatrix Lestrange looking down at him. Her eyes looked as if she'd been in a boxing match and her cheeks were black and blue. What he could see of her throat and neck above the top of her dress was purple.

"Nagini beat me up." The witch muttered through swollen lips.

"_Nagini_..." Harry frowned. "When... _Why?_"

"As soon as I _Crucioed_ you. _Because I Crucioed you!_"

From what he could see of her eyes she was staring at him with a mixture of loathing and something else he couldn't put his finger on. He pulled himself up and sat looking at her battered features. Her nose was broken and the way she was holding her arm, it looked as if that was broken too.

"But that was _yesterday_. Why do you still look like that?"

She swallowed painfully. "It is my Lord's punishment for jumping to _unwarranted conclusions_."

"He won't let Snape heal you?"

"No. It doesn't matter. I'm used to it." She mumbled.

Harry stared at her for a minute; Draco had been extremely fond of her, although he had admitted she was completely mad between rare moments of lucidity. But what did she mean she was used to not being healed? Draco had told him she was a firm favourite of Voldemort's along with his mother and father. He shook his head holding out his hand.

"Give me your wand, Mrs Lestrange."

"I do not take orders from _you_." She tried to hiss. "You are not _touching_ my wand! _Little boy_." She grimaced and her bottom lip cracked, small beads of blood began appearing on the swollen flesh.

"She really did a job on you didn't she, your nose is broken. Your arm is broken too." Harry said. "Now, _give_ _me_ your wand."

"I will not! And I am not here to discuss my injuries!" She half spat. "I am _here_ to say that I am... grateful, for your attempt to save Draco and... for Abraxas. The death of Draco hit me... _us_... badly. Abraxas helps somewhat. The death of your... Mudblood... as you delivered her child, could not have been easy..."

Harry just looked at her his eyes expressionless. "Where is Voldemort."

"Having a meeting with the Death Eaters that are going to take Hogwarts tonight." Bella turned her face away from him slowly as if the movement in her neck was excruciating. "I will not be going."

Harry's voice was hard and cold. "Give me your wand Bellatrix Lestrange! You _owe_ it to me for Draco's son."

Bella turned back, her eyes spitting her hatred as she slowly pulled her wand from her sleeve and handed it to him. "Do your worst, Potter! There will come a day when I repay you in full."

"No there won't. I will be dead as soon as I've finished visiting Dumbledore tonight." Harry waved the wand chanting in a low voice. Blue light encased Bellatrix and hummed. For several minutes Harry continued, concentrating as his minds eye ran over her bones noting cracks and splinters, old wounds... and not made by magic. From the way the bones had mended, they hadn't been healed. He frowned and concentrated, moved onto her organs. Bruised kidneys, liver... When he had finished the blue light faded and he handed the wand back to Bella.

"You _will_ be coming tonight and you will teach _Dumbledore_ what a _real_ Cruciatus is. Do we have an accord, Mrs Lestrange?"

Bella looked wild and dangerous and mad and deliriously happy. Completely healed, not a bruise in sight, she spun in a circle. "Ooooh Baby Potter, you will be in _sooo_ much trouble. You healed me completely! We have an accord. But what if my Lord is angry and sends me to bed early without any supper?" She ran her wand through her fingers.

"I'm sure he will grant me one more favour. After all, I have given him the means to conquer the world _and_ death." Harry got out of bed ignoring her snigger at his undoubtedly skinny body in Draco's poncy boxers.

"Is that the bathroom?" He pointed to a door. "I really want a bath. And I want you to show me where Voldemort's rooms are after it. So don't go away. And I need..." he looked around. He grabbed Hermione's bag that someone had put on the bedside table.

~HPLV~

Later, walking into the drawing room with Bellatrix Lestrange dancing happily by his side shocked its occupants to put it mildly. The fact that she was healed had them all staring.

"Bella, _how_..." Narcissa gasped.

"Me." Harry said authoritatively. He was buzzing with nervous energy and itching to get this day over. His mossy green eyes sparkled with a dark and dangerous light. His face was still white, but without the faint look of numb shock about it. Bella's Cruciatus and his mini breakdown had put paid to that. His lips were a pale pink and they were pulled in a tight determined line. "_I_ want Mrs Lestrange there tonight, I'm trusting Voldemort will allow me this small favour."

"You did not heal her!" Snape accused suspiciously. "You are not capable. Her injuries were too extensive. Even _I_ could not have healed her thus. Not that I was allowed to try." He added angrily.

Harry stared at him and sneered. "Obviously I _am_ _capable_, Snape. Or do you suppose we just popped out to St. Mungo's. And _obviously_ It means that I am a _natural_ healer, as you would _know_ if you hadn't walked around Hogwarts with your head up your own arse for seven years refusing to look at _me_ and see _me!_"

Bella shrieked with laughter. "I hate Baby Potter," she said to Narcissa, "but he _is_ growing..." She danced up to Severus. Darting about. "Don't be jealous, I will still come to you if I have a _headache_."

Snape tried to swat her away with his hands. "You _are_ a headache. But I am glad that you are healed. _Desist_ you little beast!"

Lucius turned towards him, a slight smile on his face. He was holding Abraxas. Bella stopped poking and pinching Snape and skipped over to them cooing.

Harry walked back to the door. "I need some fresh air. I slept too long. I would appreciate it if a house elf would inform me as soon as Voldemort returns." Before Narcissa could speak, he had thrown Hermione's bag on the table and was gone. Striding quickly he headed for the double doors in the entrance hall that presumably led outside.

He had barely made it to the lawn when a house elf popped in front of him.

"I am to tell yous that yous is a _blind Brat_ and to get _back_ to the drawing room where his _Lordness_ was sitting waiting for _yous!_ Yous is a bad _bad_ boy, Harry Potter!"

"He told you to tell me I was a bad, bad, boy?" Harry asked with a raised brow.

"No! _I_ am saying yous is!" And with that she disappeared.

What had he done to _her? _He sighed and dismissed it. Harry hovered for a moment, looking into the distance at the lake where a tall single monolith marked his beloved friends resting place, and then at the doors back into the Manor. Dusk was falling fast and the temperature was freezing. There was a light sprinkling of snow on the ground. It was the first of December now, and like his friends, he wouldn't be seeing Christmas. He looked around feeling lost and spotted a rose garden. He loped over to it. Roses in December, only the Malfoy's could manage that.

He picked a dozen of the biggest deepest reds he could find, silently apologising to Narcissa, and cursed not having a wand as the thorns bit into his fingers. He then jogged down to the lake and laid the roses at the foot of the natural granite rock that was taller than he was. It was the same silver grey of Draco's eyes. Harry stroked the cool stone for a moment running his fingers over the rough edges and curves, then turned and jogged back to the Manor. There was a letter in his pocket for Narcissa and Lucius, and Merlin willing, they would see that his last wish was granted. Before the night was out he would be laying beneath that Monolith too.

~HPLV~

Harry strode back into the sitting room and glancing around saw the man he was looking for sitting on a small, very plush, two seater divan that he hadn't noticed when he had entered the room the first time and been sidetracked. He smiled at Voldemort's rather annoyed face, making the red eyes narrow at him. The other four were seated together, but seemingly as far away from their master as possible. The baby had gone. He walked past them to Voldemort, grabbing Hermione's bag on his way. He threw himself down next him ignoring the other's sharp indrawn breaths. It made him realise that Voldemort was alone, always. He wondered, if that was the case, who he shared his brilliant mind with, who benefited from his knowledge and higher thoughts? His magic and... Harry hoped he wrote everything down in journals. It would be tragic for History and future generations if it was not recorded. He pulled himself up. Not that he cared. Magic and knowledge were over for him.

"Getting back to where we were before Nagini tried to hijack the bag. _Yes_, I do have something else for you." He pulled out the Marauders map. "You will have to..."

"_Have you eaten, Brat_." Voldemort's sharp voice interrupted.

"No. I haven't." Again Harry stared at him in a kind of curious wonder. Voldemort's, what could only be, concern, for his well being confused him. Especially as he was going to kill him in a few hours time. Several times yesterday and now again today he had shown him far more thought than anyone else in this house had.

"_Narcissa"_, Voldemort hissed in a voice that was pure ice. "_Again_ I have to remind you, _all of you_, to tend to the needs of the Brat! In the last elevendays he has had one meal and that was _yesterday!_" His red eyes left Harry's wide stare and focused on Narcissa, Lucius, Severus and Bella. They quickly stood up and knelt. "When I left here earlier I gave you but _one_ instruction, _and that was to feed him!_" He drew his wand.

"I refused!" Harry lied, laying a hand on Voldemort's thigh. "They offered, Bella came to my room and offered but I wasn't Hungry. I'm not hungry." He said again, seeing the unreasonable rage in red eyes as they turned to him and narrowed. "Look," he said to divert him. "This Blank parchment is the Marauder's Map. My father and his friends made it. It reveals all of Hogwarts. Every classroom, every hallway, and every corner, it also shows every inch of the grounds, as well as all the secret passages. Except the dungeons where they kept me obviously. I don't suppose my father ever had the pleasure of being a guest in them. Anyway, the best of all... it shows the location of every person in the Castle and grounds as a dot. And it _identifies_ who they are. So, when we get in there you will know where every member of the Order of the Phoenix is, where the Professor's are, and Dumbledore, if he isn't in his office. You can instruct your Death Eaters to the _exact_ locations and..."

"_That's how you did it, Potter! I might have known it was your father!_" Snape hissed. "_All those years_..." He stopped and fell forward shaking violently. His fingers dug into the carpet, his body twisting and writhing.

"Show me, Brat." Voldemort said excitedly looking at the map in Harry's hand then back at him. "And if you scream, Severus, I will cut your vocal chords." He threw in casually, staring into Harry's eyes.

"_Scream Severus!_" Bella laughed evilly. Then she leaned over him stroking his head. "There, there, it will be over soon." She started to sing a little song in his ear.

"You have to tap the map with your wand saying; 'I solemnly swear that I am up to no good'." Harry said, taking his eyes off the red orbs and nodding at the wand that was pointed at Snape. Whatever was happening to the man was getting slowly worse as tears started to slide from the corners of his eyes. Bella was wiping them away and singing in a lisping voice to him about... _Fairies?_ Harry shook his head. "When you've finished you have to say 'Mischief Managed'."

"Lord Voldemort will not utter such trivial rubbish, Brat. You will do it for me." He looked over at Snape. "You would do well, Severus, to remember that I do not like interruptions. You can all be seated again. The Brat's _lie_ and my pleasure in his gift of the map has saved you from punishment. Now, if it isn't_ too much to ask_, Narcissa," he said sarcastically, "will you arrange a meal for him before we take Hogwarts, which _he_ has made deliciously easy, so we can administer retribution _on the man who murdered your son!_"

"Harry I'm so _sorry_," Narcissa said earnestly as she stood up, tears filling her yes. "I'm so sorry. We have been so overjoyed with Abraxas that we have barely left his side since you brought him here. And with you sleeping so long I forgot... I forgot."

Lucius stood and put an arm around his wife. He bowed to Voldemort. "I apologise my Lord. You are correct, we have neglected Harry abominably since he arrived and gave us reason to... go on. And... I am sorry that I... have neglected my duties these past eleven days. I will rectify that from this moment on, if you will allow me to."

"It is of no consequence, Lucius. I respect and understand your grief for your son. Tonight you shall avenge him."

Lucius' eyes darkened. "My Lord... you mean... you mean..."

"If the Brat has no objections, when we have concluded our business with Dumbledore I will give him to you to end him how you see fit."

Harry nodded frowning. He wouldn't be alive _to_ object. "That's what she wanted... for Lord Malfoy to..." Harry stopped and swallowed. "I didn't know if you would want to do it yourself, given your history." He looked at Voldemort. "But Hermione, she wanted Lord Malfoy to do it... for Draco... and Mrs Lestrange and I have an _accord_." He looked at her. She was helping Snape to his feet. Her eyes met his and she nodded slowly. "I know she won't let me down."

Lucius came over to Voldemort and knelt on one knee. He lifted and kissed the back of his hand. "My _Lord_," he choked emotionally in a thickened voice. "My Lord... I doubted you... I _doubted_ you."

Voldemort stared at the lowered head of his most favoured and loyal right-hand-man for a long moment. It was the first time since his transformation that Lucius had kissed his hand and held it tightly as he was doing now. He placed his other hand on the bowed head.

"If I could have delivered him to you the day the crime was committed I would have done so, Lucius."

Lucius took a long shuddering breath, then stood up and straightened his shoulders, apart from over bright eyes, the formerly missing arrogant stance was firmly back in place. "I will change and prepare, my Lord. You need not burden yourself further with the deployment of the Death Eaters when we take Hogwarts. I am returned to my duties. I will see to it." He gave a bow and left the room.

Narcissa floated over and looked from Harry to Voldemort. She seemed to be thinking deeply. Then she suddenly smiled so brightly Harry blinked. She bowed low to Voldemort. "Thank you, my Lord." She too lifted his hand and kissed it for the first time since his return. "Can I get you anything. Would you like a meal with Harry."

"No, thank you, Narcissa. Tea would be appreciated though."

"Harry, is there anything particular you would like to eat."

Harry frowned. What did one have for a 'last meal'? "No, anything will be great. Thanks Lady Malfoy."

"Harry, I think you should be calling me Narcissa. I will let you know when it is ready." She beamed at them again before leaving the room.

Harry frowned. He turned to Voldemort and it was only then as he looked down at the map in his hand that he realised his other hand was still laying on the Dark Lord's thigh. When he looked up again red eyes were staring at him, and a white slim hand was holding out his wand. Harry's jaw dropped.

"The map, Brat. Show me the map!"

Harry took the wand and had to be steadied by Voldemort as he rocked with the jolt of electric power that ran up his arm. Red sparks flew across the room and his hair lifted softly. He had missed his wand, the feel of it, the power that pulsed through him when he held it... but _this_... this was recognition, this was pure magic, this was ecstasy, this _was_ Voldemort. Harry closed his eyes and opened them again, he swallowed, he looked at the man staring at him; his lips were curling slightly as he watched his reaction intently. And suddenly Harry mourned bitterly for all the millions of things he would never know about him; his youth, his ideals before they turned sour, his thoughts, his knowledge, his magic, his travels, his genius, his _life_. All of the secrets held within those solid red eyes that he didn't share with anyone.

Harry tapped the map barley able to form the words. It sprang into life and he handed it to Voldemort. Then he held his wand out to him. As the white hand took it the long fingers brushed over his and it may have been his imagination but he thought they lingered for a moment. Then Voldemort was exclaiming over the map, laughing with glee as he watched Dumbledore and the Order moving around. Harry only half listened. He was staring straight ahead eyes unfocused until a light hand on his shoulder and Narcissa telling him his food was ready gave him the excuse he needed to leave the room.

~HPLV~

Whatever strange half world Harry had slipped into when he had touched Voldemort's wand evaporated when the House Elf who had called him a 'bad bad boy' served him his dinner. He ate the steak and left the rest, too fired up to eat any more. When she came to collect the plate, that she had slammed down in front of him, she stood with her hands on hips.

"Is that all yous is eating, bad Harry Potter!"

"What is your problem with me, Elf." Harry said half amused, half annoyed. He finished his tea and put the cup down. Standing, he stretched, then began to walk to the door.

"Yous is making the baby Abraxas not allowed anywhere yous is, and yous is his named Godfather!"

Harry froze to the spot. Cold rage hit him like an express train. "_What are you talking about_." He hissed. "And how do _you_ know I'm its Godfather!"

"When you ran off his Lordness ordered that the baby Abraxas not be in your _presence_ because it _hurts_ yous! Yous don't want to see him because yous is going to die! And I know _yous_ is his Godfather because Master Draco named _yous_ his Godfather in his letter! Yous is a bad coward boy, Harry Potter!"

"Keep your mouth shut, Elf, _and stay out of my business!_" Harry spat. He left the room and stalked towards the drawing room. In _happy_ days he had been overjoyed when Hermione and Draco had asked him to be Godfather to their son. These were _not_ happy days and _life sucked_ and if he'd had his way he would have left it yesterday with Hermione! And how the fuck did Voldemort know he couldn't stand to see or be near the baby! AND WHY draw everyone's attention to the fact by banning it from wherever he was when after tonight he wouldn't even be here! It didn't _matter_, _nothing_ mattered. They were going to Hogwarts in less than an hour. After that the kid could be taken where the hell anyone wanted to take it!

When he walked into the drawing room he was seething. It was filled with Death Eaters. As he made his way over to Voldemort they slowly parted making a path for him and he nearly made it to the man he was furious with, when someone stuck a foot out and tripped him up. There was the sound of mocking laughter as Harry went down. His lean body rolled back onto his shoulders and with a smooth push of undoubted strength it elegantly flipped back up onto its feet again to spin in a graceful arc. A leg lifted to shoot out and up at tremendous speed, kicking the Death Eater in the solar plexus with a solid booted foot that launched him to land on his back several feet away. The whole thing had happened so fast, so smoothly, that everyone just stared at him, the room silent.

"_Anyone else want to have a go!_" Harry snarled. No one moved an inch. His face was hard and cold, his skin stark white, his lips a tight line. His eyes were so dark they appeared black. The scar on his face was lived. "Anyone got anything they want to _say_ to the-boy-who-lived!_"_ No one answered. "You can _see_ I am unarmed," he sneered. He was wearing a short sleeved black shirt and Jeans. "If you want to have a go do it now because I swear if you try any of this crap when we get to Hogwarts I'll fucking kill you."

He walked over to the bag laying next to Voldemort and snatched it up. He pulled out a miniature cabinet. He placed it on the floor and stood back. "You need to enlarge it." He said shortly. He turned away and walked over to Narcissa pulling the letter from his jeans pocket.

"Lady Malfoy, when I... when I go through the cabinet, please read this with your husband and consider my wishes."

She looked at the letter then at him. "I will Harry. Thank you, for making this possible..."

Harry gave her a tight smile. "Just make sure you keep safe." He searched the room for Bella. But he couldn't see her. He walked back to Voldemort who was now standing with Lucius studying the cabinet.

"Its twin is in the room of requirement at Hogwarts." He said to Lucius. "We kept this one at Grimmauld place. When we wanted a night out in London, or a day _shopping_, Drake's _favourite_ pastime, this is how we did it. We last used it when we went Christmas shopping on Bond street. Draco loved the elite shops, Louis Vuitton, Burberry's, Ralph Lauren. He used to spend a fortune, we all did. I, of course, came into my inheritances when I turned seventeen. Hermione had her own money you know. Her grandmother left her 'minted'. A muggle word for very rich. She set up a trust fund for... the baby. It's all in the documents I have left in my room for you. She took care of everything. Mine are there too, though mine are not as official as hers are, they will still stand up to scrutiny.

"Hermione collected this cabinet from Grimmauld place just after it all happened. She knew I would come here... well, she sent me here and she knew you would want to..." Harry shook his head.

Lucius smiled sadly. "I do regret that I did not know her. All I can say is that my vengeance tonight will be hers also." He cleared his throat. "I apologise for the idiot who tripped you. I'm ashamed that he is one of my men. It was fascinating how you dealt with him. I've never seen anything like that before."

Harry shrugged. "I'm their enemy. That's all they know. Anyway, we go through this cabinet and come out in the room of requirement. It's that simple. I'll go through now. Give me a five minutes then follow me. You can organise your men from there. He looked around figuring there was about fifty of them all in. He glanced at Voldemort for the first time and saw that there was such a mixture of emotions in his eyes that he couldn't even begin to decipher them. "Have you seen Mrs Lestrange?"

"Yes Brat, she is over there crucioing the one that tripped you."

"Why."

"Because I told her to."

"How come he's not screaming?"

"She has silenced him."

"Oh." Harry stared at him for a minute, again wondering, finding him... such a Puzzle. Voldemort would be _killing_ him shortly, why bother punishing someone for tripping him? His anger at him suddenly drained and he gave him a wry little smile and nodded. He took one last look around the room. "See you on the other side then." He opened the cabinet door and stepped through.

As soon as he had disappeared Voldemort turned to his Death Eaters. Silence fell immediately. "_Bella_," he said in a deadly venomous voice. "_Bring him here._" Bella levitated the half dead man to Voldemort's feet.

_'Nagini!'_ He hissed.

The long green snake slid through the door moments later, hissing and tasting the air. The Death Eaters shrank back from her as she passed. '_Massster, you are upssset_'.

Voldemort slashed his wand at the prone figure at his feet. The man's clothes and boots ripped from his body in a violent downward sweep. He twisted his wand viciously and teeth, fingernails, toenails, and a full scalp of hair ripped from skin and gums and disappeared.

'_Ssshow them what happensss when anyone triesss to harm the Brat_.'

Instantly Nagini flared up, more than twice her normal size. She struck at the man and struck again, her long fangs puncturing his throat with deadly force and venom. The terrified Death Eaters cowed in horror as his body jerked spasmodically, feet drumming the floor. Then with a speed that was terrifying she had her whole body wrapped around him and was crushing him. The audience looked down at the sound of crunching disintegrating bones. When his body was no more than pulp she unwound herself and opened her jaws wide starting at the head. The gigantic jaws widened further to accommodate the shoulders. She worked her way down the body until it had gone. Her own twelve foot sleek length, as thick as a man's thigh, returned, and she wound her way up Voldemort's body, curling around it lovingly until her head hung over his shoulder. The Silence was deafening.

"When I tell you that Harry Potter is to left alone _that is what I mean!_" He spat. "To go against my instruction is to _question_ my orders and _Lord Voldemort will not be questioned by anyone!_"

He stalked amongst the terrified Death Eaters his face a rictus of rage. "Who laughed, _who dared to laugh!"_ He hissed. "You were not mocking the Brat, you were mocking _me!_ Finding it _amusing_ that one of you had disobeyed _me!" _

The Death Eaters remained silent. "After this mission those who found the _blatant disobedience_ of their Lord's order _so_ _amusing_, will come forward! And _if you do not -_ I will search through your minds to find you and when I do, you will _not_ survive."

Bella danced around the Death Eaters cackling, stopping every now and again to jab two fingers at her eyes, then at the individual, and then slash them across her throat.

"My Lord," Lucius said. "You ought to see this." He held out the letter he had been reading with Narcissa.

Voldemort gave his Death Eaters one more glare and walked over to Lucius, taking the letter. He read it quickly and tore it up. "His _wish_ is denied." He turned on his heel, walked to the cabinet and stepped through the door.

"What's going on?" Severus came over to the two, looking down at the torn scraps of parchment.

"Harry requested we bring his body back here and bury him with Draco and Hermione." Lucius said staring at his wife's happy face. "Our Lord has denied it."

Severus sighed. He felt conflicted. It was a simple enough request after all Potter had gone through and done for them. But he was now sworn again to his Lord, and he wouldn't be straying from that path. His protection of the boy-who-lived was over. "I suppose it will be Our Lord's decision as to what becomes of his body after he has killed him. It will be his final victory over him."

Narcissa laughed softly. "For an educated man, Severus, you can be awfully dense." She looked at her husband watching a smile of enlightenment begin to spread across his face. "His request is _denied_ because there _won't be a_ _body_. Our Lord has no intention of killing him. And if my instincts are correct. We will have Marvolo back by Yule!"

"Lord Malfoy." A Death Eater approached his General. "Please. Can you not reason with our Lord. We did not _mock_ _him_."

Lucius' cane swept up and slashed across the man's face. "_You have shamed me this night._" He hissed. "All of you!" His icy grey eyes swept across his men. "You who are supposed to be my _elite!_ Fear not my Lord's punishment for those of you who laughed and _will_ willingly come forward. Fear more mine for behaving like undisciplined raw recruits and making me appear a fool grossly lacking in judgement by promoting you! Tonight we take Hogwarts, the Order, _and the man who murdered my son! _All made possible by Harry Potter! A brother to my son and one whom attempted to shield him from the killing curse at the cost of his own life! And like _children_ you _trip_ and _laugh_ at him!" Enraged Lucius pulled his father's wand from his cane.

Narcissa put her hand on his wand arm. "My dear," she said gently. "It is time we went through."

.

.

Thanks Fav and Followers. Reviewers specially.


	3. Chapter 3

**Warning:** This Story contains **SLASH**, **LV/HP** if this offends _please_ do not read.

******Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to JK Rowling

_'Parseltongue'_

An Unwise Murder

Chapter Three

.

The first thing Voldemort saw when he stepped through into the room of requirement was a large rectangular table with enough chairs around it to seat at least fifty people. There were sandwiches and tea along the length of it. At its head there was a large whiteboard. Pinned to one side of it was the Marauders Map. The dots on it were thinning out as students retired to their dormitories.

He looked around for Harry and saw the back of someone standing by a large door, He seemed to be just staring at it. Voldemort pulled his wand. The tall slim wizard was wearing a long form fitting jet black robe. He had loose shoulder length black hair that shone like smooth onyx. His posture was painfully rigid.

'_Ssstrange Brat._' Nagini hissed. '_What are you doing._'

Harry spun round and the robe flared out from the waist down. He was wearing trousers as densely black as his robe and shining knee high leather boots. The buttons on his robe were gleaming oval Mother of Pearl. From throat to waist there must have been at least twenty of them. His face was whiter than ever, the raised welt stark and giving him a terrible visage. His lips were colourless and his eyes burned into Voldemort's with such pain in them that the Dark Lord used the excuse of sheathing his wand to escape it. Two days ago he would have revelled in his anguish. He wondered where the change of clothes had come from and assumed they had been in this room that the Brat had used with his friends. The transformation from boy to man, to _Wizard_, was startling. Voldemort lifted his eyes to him again.

"On the other side of this door is where they killed the Boy-who-Lived." Harry said in a raw voice, turning back and staring at it. He was silent for long minutes, breathing deeply, trying to control the rage and pain that was like a fire in his belly. He swung back to look at Voldemort. Lucius, Narcissa and Snape were standing by his side.

"In one moment, everyone I _loved_ died. In one moment everything I had been taught to _believe,_ was a lie. I never asked for this life, this world and its burdens. I didn't want to be its _saviour_ or its champion. I was eleven and I didn't even know magic existed and then I was told what I was, who I was, who I was going to be, what was expected of _me!_ Draco, Hermione and I, didn't _want_ to be divided by birth or _blood_ or politics or _duty! We didn't want to be in your war with Dumbledore or his with you! You all took our choices away! _We were a pureblood, a half blood and a mudblood and it didn't _matter_. Because none of that _matters_, the only thing that _matters_ is that we all had _magic!"_

"MAGIC IS WHAT MATTERS!" He roared at Voldemort. "_KNOWLEDGE!_ You, who are the most powerful wizard in the world _know_ that. You a _half blood, a genius,_ a wealth of _knowledge_, stronger, more _powerful_, than any _pureblood_ walking this earth! BECAUSE OF YOUR MAGIC! Hermione, a _mudblood_, the brightest witch of her age, a _genius! _ She was brilliant! She could have been the _best_ _asset_ to this world in more than a generation! In Seven years she knew _more_ than the Professors and could do it better! Draco, so _wise_ and smart and... he didn't _miss_ anything. He _knew_ people better than they knew themselves. A Politician if ever there was one. He could have been Minister! He _knew_ Dumbledore and the Order were no good... he tried to tell me..." Harry broke off.

"_KNOWLEDGE_, _MAGIC_, YOU SHOULD BE NURTURING IT, _NOT CULLING IT!_"

His lips twisted in a sneer._ "_Draco said I was an idealistic fool. He was right. He wanted me to leave with him and Hermione. Had they lived, by now they would have vanished to live in obscurity and raise their child, somewhere far away and safe. _They_ _chose their son._" He said pointedly to Voldemort. "I refused to go... I wanted to... but, I was _The Boy-who-Lived, the Saviour!" _He spat. He looked at Voldemort with all the resentment, disgust, fury and pain that had poisoned him since that one moment. "This world will die. The _ignorance_ and _prejudice_ of the Light and the Dark will ensure it. They will be the instruments of its _ruin_. I have given you the means to rule its people, if _you_ don't _change_ it, you will be the Greatest Wizard of all time ruling a world of nothing but dust and ashes."

As the first of the Death Eaters stepped through the cabinet, Harry swung back to face the door.

~HPLV~

.

Half an hour later he was making his way towards Dumbledore's office, a lone figure in black. Just as he reached the stone Gargoyle he stopped in his tracks.

"I knew you were still here, Whore!" A voice hissed from behind him. "What have you done with Hermione! Where is she! Tell me now or suffer the same fate as your boyfriend!"

Harry turned slowly, holding out his hands to show he didn't have a wand. In front of him stood Ronald Weasley and two members of the Order.

"Er.. perhaps we should just escort him up to Dumbledore, Ron." One of them said shrinking back at the sight of Harry's face.

"No!" Ron spat. His wand pointed at Harry. "No. Malfoy's fuck toy whore has killed Hermione, I _know_ he has..."

The words had barely left the Gryffindor's mouth when Harry's fist shot out and smashed one of the Order in the face as at the same time his boot connected with the other's face. Ron opened his mouth and Harry snatched his wand out of his hand and was behind him, one arm across his chest and shoulders. The other holding his wand across his throat. Harry hissed in parseltongue and the wand turned into a long dagger. The twelve inch blade glinted once before it was savagely slashed across the throat with such force that it sliced through windpipe, carotid arteries, Larynx, and ligaments, as if they were butter, until it hit the spinal cord. Harry dropped the body and spun inbetween the other two as they staggered to their feet drawing the blade across their throats in quick succession.

With another hissed word in parseltongue the dagger transformed back into a wand. He snapped it half and threw it at Ron's near decapitated body, turned on his heel, and resumed his way up to Dumbledore's office.

Less than ten seconds later Bella and Snape arrived on the scene, having been diverted by Lucius when he had seen the dots of the three following Harry on the Marauders map.

Bella giggled and put her hand to her throat. "Ooh, Baby _has_ grown up big, bad, and strong! He makes us all so proud." She wiped away imaginary tears. She gave Snape a sly look from under her lashes. "And he doesn't like you, does he, Severus?" She laughed quietly as Snape stared down at the carnage.

"Shut up you mad Bitch." He said gently. He grabbed her hand and turned, pulling her along to their original destination.

Bella skipped alongside him singing; "_He's going to get you, he's going to get you..._"

~HPLV~

.

"Harry?" Dumbledore rose to his feet peering at him over the top of his glasses. He noted that the boy was unarmed, but pulled his wand anyway. He was no fool as regards the Boy-who-Lived. He saw that his white face was speckled with blood and his _eyes_...

"Dumbledore." Harry said flatly.

"I expected you of course. Though I rather hoped you would be escorted to me by the Order. But if you have your Invisibility Cloak... it is not in your trunk and it was not on your person when we apprehended you. It wasn't amongst Draco's personal effects either."

Harry didn't answer he just stared at him through narrowed eyes.

"How did you escape... was it Severus? Of course it must have been as he disappeared yesterday morning too. I misjudged him." Dumbledore sighed sadly. "I'm an old man. We acted for your own good, Harry, you must know that. Draco seduced you to put in the path of the Dark Lord. It was a trap, Harry. He would have led you to your death."

When Harry still didn't answer Dumbledore cleared his throat, becoming unnerved by the dead stare. "Tell me, where is Miss Granger?"

"Dead. So is Ron. I've just cut his throat." Harry replied as if he were talking about the weather. "Now I'm here to ensure your death too."

"And how are you going to achieve that, Harry?" Dumbledore frowned with mock curiosity. "You have no wand."

"No, I haven't. But he has." Harry jerked his thumb at an empty space next to him.

The Invisibility cloak was thrown back and there stood Voldemort, Nagini wrapped around his frame her tongue tasting the air, and his wand pointing at Dumbledore.

"Good evening, Albus." He said politely to the open mouthed Headmaster. "Expelliarmus."

The casually uttered spell had the Elder Wand flying from Dumbledore's shocked nerveless fingers to hover jealously in mid air until Voldemort sheathed his yew wand and then it glided down gracefully into the slim white hand waiting for it. The air filled with an overpowering static atmosphere as the most powerful wand in the world met the most powerful wizard in the world. Wind howled around the office as multi coloured stars exploded from the wand's tip in a stunning display to be followed by white lightning that hit the ring and the cloak simultaneously. The ring glowed with an intense light and the Invisibility Cloak, laying on the floor, glittered like diamonds, light bouncing off it and darting all around it. The thrill of perfect cognition with the Hallows blasted through Voldemort as he closed his eyes in absolute ecstasy.

"_Harry!_" Dumbledore screamed into the turbulent room. "_What have you done you little fool! What have you done!_"

Voldemort opened eyes glowing in elated triumph. He looked at the Brat who had made this so deliciously simple for him and who had completely enthralled him with his use of Parselmagic and slitting Weasley's throat. He grabbed a handful of Harry's windswept hair and yanking his head back painfully, dragged his lips over the Brat's in a hard harsh kiss.

Harry was so _disorientated_ by the Hallows coming together and so _shocked _by the sudden attack that when a tongue flicked through his lips into his mouth he responded with as much enthusiasm as the man kissing him was demonstrating. And his heart seemed to join tempest in the office, as it thundered in his ears. Suddenly Voldemort ended the kiss as abruptly as he had started it. He pulled back, his eyes darker than Harry had ever seen them, his hand still tangled in his hair.

_'Nagini, Hold.'_ He hissed, as the riotous elements settled down around them and normality returned. The snake unwound itself from Voldemort and in a blink of an eye was wrapped around Dumbledore, who was white with utter shock. She lifted him a foot off the ground, his arms trapped firmly against his body within her coils. She applied enough pressure to labour his breathing.

"H-Harry, you and T-Tom... y-you and T..."

"_Dumbledore_," Voldemort drawled, staring into Harry's glazed eyes. "Everything that was once _yours_ is now _mine_. Including Hogwarts, the Elder Wand, and _the boy who lived."_ He swiftly dragged his lips over Harry's again as if to prove the point. "And there are a few things that I have _reclaimed_ that were _never_ _yours_ in the first place. My four Horcruxes and _THE BOY WHO LIVED!_"

His mocking demeanour suddenly disappeared and he was snarling, twisting his hand tighter in Harry's hair and swinging him around violently to face Dumbledore. "The boy who lived!" He spat, thrusting Harry forward. "_Mine_ from the moment _my_ _soul_ embedded itself within him as a babe! The Boy Who _Lived_ because he was _my_ _Horcrux!"_

He held the Elder Wand out and a jet of red light tinged with purple shot from its tip to Dumbledore, splitting into tendrils that slithered into his eyes and ears, up into his nostrils, into his mouth. His blood-curdling scream made Harry shudder as he emerged from his stupor. Horcrux? _He_ was a Horcrux? The man who was going to kill him, any minute now... had just _kissed_ him? He looked at Dumbledore to see his eyes blinking with utter disgust and agonised tears, his body rigid within Nagini's hold. Then his screaming stopped and his head started thrashing, drool pouring from the corner of his mouth.

"_This was never about the Prophecy!_" Voldemort hissed, "But how convenient for you that it came along. A Prophecy _you could then empower_ by ensuring Severus overheard it and pointed me in the direction of the Potter's. How galling it must have been for you when only half of your plan succeeded! James Potter was dead but the Brat survived! _The Invisibility Cloak could not be yours!_

"And three more attempts at his death using _me_ failed, the Philosopher's stone, the Chamber of Secrets, and the Triwizard Tournament where you could have protected him quite easily. But he did have an annoying habit of surviving didn't he? And there was nothing _you_ could do about it. At the last battle you had _no_ _intention_ of destroying my Horcruxes, apart from one, _the Brat!_ You were going to leave me at full strength to kill him, thus ridding yourself of the last living descendant of _Ignotus Peverell!_ Which has been your goal throughout! The Invisibility cloak _has to be_ _passed_ _through the generations_, the only way it could ever be _yours_ was if it was _willingly_ _given_ as a _gift,_ or if the Peverell line was dead!

"Dead, but not by the recipient of the cloak's own hand or _intent_! His death by _Prophecy_ or pure accident, was your _only_ chance of getting your hands on the Cloak. You already had the Elder Wand and the joy you must have felt more recently when you found _my Ring that holds the Resurrection Stone!_ The _Deathly_ _Hallows_ would be yours at last! Only then would you have any chance of defeating _me_ and DEFEATING DEATH! Death, that you so championed to me was_ not to be feared! Only then would you have destroyed my Horcruxes to weaken me._

"When you found out about Draco you were terrified that the Brat would turn to me and I would realise what he was! So Draco had to die and the Brat had to be _'convinced'_ to toe your line till the end!" Voldemort snarled and twisted the Elder Wand. Dumbledore screamed high enough to wake the dead.

Harry could hear a buzzing above the sound of a gasping Dumbledore. It was getting louder, and by the time he realised it was in his own head, his eyes had started to dim and his legs gave way and the only thing holding him upright was the hand twisted in his hair.

Feeling the sudden slack weight, Voldemort hauled Harry back against his body and held him up with an arm around his waist. He stunned Dumbledore and the Headmaster slackened in Nagini's hold, his head dropping forward.

"Don't weaken now, Brat, not when it's nearly over_."_ He hissed into his ear.

"Do it now. _Kill_ me now." Harry moaned feeling sick to his stomach.

Voldemort laughed. He sheathed the Elder Wand and pulled Harry's head back, looking down into the white face and dead eyes.

"No."

Fear burst the Brat's pupils wide, turning his eyes black. For a second, Voldemort almost felt sorry for him.

"You promised!" Harry choked, "You _Promised!_"

"I made no such promise. All along, Brat, you have _assumed_ it. I made the decision _not_ to kill you mere hours after you arrived at the Manor."

The panic Harry felt was making it hard to breathe. He shook his head in denial. "Liar! You _did_ promise!" He tried to shout but all that came out was a hoarse whisper as his throat closed. "Your eyes... It was in your _eyes!_ Kill me. You promised! _KILL ME NOW!_"

"No."

"You told the Elf that I was going to die! You told them _all_ I couldn't stand to be near that... baby _because I was_ _going to die!" _Harry hissed.

"And that is the truth as _you_ saw it. From the moment Draco was killed you have been determined to die! You cannot even look at the babe because of it! That and your secret _hatred_ of it, Brat! Be thankful I did not tell its Grandparents of that! You _wanted_ it to be by my hand because you thought _that_ was the _last thing_ _Dumbledore_ _wanted!_ At no time did you exact a promise from me to kill you. You swore on your magic _that you would not fight me. _You would _let _me kill you_. _It has always been _my_ _choice_ whether to do so or not."

"_But you want me dead!_ For years that's _all_ you have wanted. To prove to the world that you could defeat me! You _have_ to go through with it! YOU HAVE TO!" Harry was trying to think of something, _anything_, to force his hand. He couldn't fight him to force his hand because he had made that _stupid_ vow and his magic wouldn't allow it!

"I do not _have_ _to_ _do_ anything, Brat, and I do not have to _prove_ anything to anyone."

Voldemort curbed Harry's sudden feeble struggles. Feeble, but he was using all of his strength! He couldn't fight him! He let out a frustrated sob of despair.

"You are sickened by the extent of Dumbledore's treachery. Don't let him see you like this. Not when your victory over him is within your grasp. Your stripping him of _everything_ is not your _death_, it is your _survival. _He has wanted your _death,_ Harry_, _for nearly eighteen years."

Maybe it was the use of his name but Harry suddenly sagged back against the steely frame holding him. "I don't _want_ to live." He said dully. "There is no _place_ for me in _either_ world. Don't you understand that?" He suddenly grabbed the hand holding him around his waist. "Please, don't do this to me. _Please_."

"Brat, my decision is made. You _will_ accept it and live."

"Is it because I'm your Horcrux that you won't kill me?"

Voldemort laughed. "When I made my decision I did not know you were my Horcrux. I have five other Horcruxes and the _Hallows_. If I wanted you dead – you would be, Horcrux or no."

"What about the Prophecy?" Harry realised this was his last card. If this failed...

"It is of no consequence. You have sworn on your magic not to fight me. I have no desire to kill you. It is void. It only has power if _we_ give it power. You cannot and I don't want to."

"But what am I going to do now." Harry asked forlornly. "_What am I going to do?_"

"_You_ will deal with those of the Order that hurt you instead of having _me_ exact revenge for you. Then you will rest and fully recover from the torture you have undergone and you will _grieve_ and you will be angry at the lie your life has been... until one day you will calm, and then, Brat, you will find your _place_ in _this_ world."

"I think I'm going to be sick." Harry said, knowing the gaping hole that was waiting for him once he accepted that Hermione and Draco were gone from him forever and he was left behind.

Again there was that strange tingling sensation throughout his body, and the urge to throw up his steak left him. He straightened and took a breath. "I don't understand you." He said.

The Hand he had been holding and arm around his waist left him as he stood under his own steam. Harry frowned as he felt the loss. He took a step forward squaring his shoulders.

"But you _want_ to." Voldemort said with amusement to the back of Harry's head. "You thirst for knowledge. There are 'millions' of things you want to know about me, are there not? I should be flattered that it was your _only_ regret in leaving this life that you would never have the chance to."

"How do you know _that?_"

"I connected with my soul. Your thoughts are open to me."

"_Oh, fucking wonderful._" Harry spat. Then blushed slightly at some of the other thoughts he had had about him. He was glad he had his back to the man.

Voldemort threw his head back and laughed. "Yes it is, isn't it? If it is of any consolation, I also find you... _interesting, _for many reason's. Your intelligence for one thing, I enjoyed our... talk yesterday afternoon and your impassioned speech in the room of requirement held my attention, Brat. I would know more of your _ideals_ that Draco called foolish."

Harry spun around, looking up into serious solid red eyes. "Really? You _really_ mean that?"

"I never say anything I do not mean, Brat." Seeing the first spark of animation in the Brat's eyes since meeting him, Voldemort was satisfied. "Are you ready?"

Harry smiled wanly. "Yes. What were you doing to him... before. When he was screaming and drooling?"

"A simple transference spell. He felt, in two minutes, the pain you suffered over ten days. He is weak." Voldemort sneered. "Then I twisted his organs."

Harry suddenly raised his hand and held it near Voldemort's cheek. The Dark Lord's eyes narrowed but he didn't move away as his fingers tentatively stroked down the pale soft skin, so smooth, just as he'd thought, and cool, not cold to touch, the sheen of it reflecting pale glimpses of colour in the light of the office. On impulse, Harry ripped one the buttons off his robe. He handed it to Voldemort. The Mother of Pearl shone and reflected its ever changing array of gleaming pastel colours as Voldemort stroked his thumb over its smooth cool surface. He looked up from it to Harry quizzically.

"It's your skin." Harry said.

For a moment Voldemort's eyes opened wide in shock. Then his face shuttered. "Foolish Brat." He said. "All others shrink from me in fear and revulsion. And you give me a button."

Harry was about to answer when Nagini spat and hissed angrily. Her head reared. '_When you two have quite finissshed, I am ssso bored I am about to crusssh thisss human to death jussst ssso I can go home!'_

Harry moved and stood by Voldemort's side as he raised his wand and enervated Dumbledore. The blue eyes opened and immediately latched onto him.

"You little _fool!_" Dumbledore rasped. "You have unleashed an evil that will be the end this world!"

Harry pursed his lips. "Should I care?" He replied in a cold voice. "You _assume_ I have a love for this world of magic? It is filled with nothing but hate and hypocrisy and ignorance and prejudice. Now lies and duplicity and _murder_ by the very person who was supposed to be my shining example of 'all that is good' in it. Your world is _weak, _its people are_ cowards, _and it can burn."

"You have always _cared_, Harry. This is about Draco Malfoy. _You have done all of this for him!_" Dumbledore spat.

Harry laughed. "No, I have done all of this for _you_. And it was so easy. Draco was never my lover. And I was loyal to you, loved you even until the moment you killed him, and Hermione, and your Boy-who-Lived."

"Hermione? What do you mean, I didn't kill Miss Granger! You did!"

"You are right, in a way. I knew the second I pulled Draco's son from her womb that she would die. It was one of those defining moments. Hating the baby for coming prematurely and stealing away my last three weeks with her, hating Draco and Hermione for soul bonding, hating you for making me hate them. It's what kept me going, as Hermione lay screaming on a cold stone floor in the Chamber of Secrets, all that _hate_. That's when I decided that merely killing you wasn't _enough_. I had to take _everything_ from you before your death and give it to the man you most hated and feared. I wanted you to die knowing that he is invincible and will rule this world as _he_ sees fit.

Harry picked up the invisibility cloak from the floor and folded it carefully. He held it up briefly to Dumbledore before handing it to Voldemort, his gaze locking with amused red orbs. "I _willingly_ gave him everything that was mine." He turned spiteful eyes to Dumbledore and smiled. "You cannot imagine how _pleased_ I am, knowing what I do now, that I did." He put his head to one side, studying the man's shattered expression and hopeless faded blue eyes. "It was an unwise murder, Headmaster. Very unwise."

Dumbledore closed his eyes. "Draco and _Hermione _were_ soul bonded?_ And she was with child? So, she died when..." He shook his head. "I'm sorry, my boy, how was I to know all this? I'm an old man, I made a terrible mistake."

Harry wandered over to Dumbledore's desk and started rummaging about. "Well that's all right then." He glanced at Voldemort. "Murdering Draco, whose only crime was being _my_ lover, or so he thought, oh, and endangering his chances of getting my Cloak, was a _terrible_ _mistake_. He can go free." He returned to his searching.

"He will kill you, Harry." Dumbledore warned.

Harry laughed bitterly. "Funny thing, _no_, he won't. No, I'm going to live, Dumbledore, and watch everything you ever worked towards, everything you ever wanted for this world, destroyed. I may even help." He found what he was looking for and picked up his wand staring at it blankly. Then, for the first time since Dumbledore had been enervated he showed real emotion by sweeping his arm fiercely across the desk sending the contents crashing to the floor. He violently threw his broken wand at the debris.

"Brat," Voldemort said, pulling his yew wand from his sleeve and holding it out to Harry. "Take it. It is yours."

Harry looked at the solid red eyes and slowly calmed down. He took the wand and again had to steadied by Voldemort as the power rushed through him, the red sparks filling the office and his hair lifting. "As you can see," Harry said, as he settled. "We have an _affinity_. I wondered why the Horcruxes hidden away in this office sang to me when I came looking for them. They didn't when you showed me them. But again, I have you to thank for that. When you killed Draco, something inside of me died. And it was _replaced_. I didn't understand it at the time. Now I know it was Voldemort's soul...filling the hole." He stroked the wand lovingly. '_Nagini, move your head to the far right._' He hissed.

"You are just like _him!_" Dumbledore spat. "_Evil!_"

The lash of the whip swept across Dumbledore's face and split his left cheek wide open. He screamed and struggled within Nagini's hold. Harry whispered in Parselmouth, and the whip turned back into the Yew wand.

"There is no good and evil, there is only power, and those too weak to seek it." Harry said. He walked forward and tapped the ruined cheek with his wand. "A parting gift." He turned away and walked back to Voldemort.

"The... _Prophecy_..." Dumbledore said hissing painfully as he moved his lips.

"Is as dead as you are, you old fool," Voldemort drawled, stroking Harry's head. Again he was enthralled by his use of Parselmagic. He would have to ask the Brat about it. "And as for us being alike, you should be proud, Dumbledore. After all, you made us."

Harry smiled. "Lord and Lady Malfoy are keen to see you. Oh, and Mrs Lestrange too. I don't want to keep them waiting any longer than necessary. We have what we came for."

Harry waited for Voldemort to move and followed him to the door. Lucius was waiting on the other side with Narcissa, and Bellatrix.

"The Castle is secure, my Lord. The Order and Professor's are being held in the great hall and all the Slytherin students have been released. They are... mostly well, but considerably shaken, especially the first years. They are also in the Great Hall with Severus. He is sending them home. They will return after the Yule holiday. All the other Students are now under house arrest."

"Good. He's all yours, Lucius." Voldemort put a hand on Harry's shoulder and steered him passed the small group. "We shall go to the Great Hall. Join us when you are ready."

"Thank you, my Lord," Lucius said, looking through the door at Dumbledore. "Thank you, Harry."

'_Nagini, come.'_ Voldemort hissed.

"Potter, I thought you said you would be _dead_." Bella sulked.

Harry laughed at her disappointed face. "Trust me Mrs Lestrange. I feel just as disappointed as you are. You will have to speak to your Master about it. In the meantime we have an accord. Make me proud. Tell him it's from me 'with love'."

Once they were alone, Harry faltered. Voldemort caught his arm. "You did well. Soon it will be over."

~HPLV~

.

The first thing that Harry noticed, apart from the sudden 'hush' as he and Voldemort strode into the Great Hall, was Snape surrounded by his Slytherins. He was talking to them in a calming velvet voice. One of the first year girls was clinging onto his hand with both of hers, crying against his leg as his other hand stroked her hair.

"_You girl!_" Voldemort's voice rang out around the Hall as he pointed to Millicent Bulstrode. "How did your face become so burned."

She bowed and lifted terrified eyes to him. When she opened her mouth, no words came out.

"It seems, my Lord, that this afternoon, my Snakes were made 'sport of' by some of the upper students from the other Houses!" Snape spat. "They were bullied and attacked within the Slytherin common room whilst under house arrest and the four members of the Order guarding them stood by watching! The upper years protected the lower years by shielding them with their bodies. They had no wands. They were taken away from them during Dumbledore's initial 'raid'. Those injured have not been allowed to seek medical attention."

There was a scuffle and the sound of a sharp 'slap'. Poppy Pomfrey punched the Death Eater who was guarding her in the chest as he rubbed his stinging cheek. "Give me my wand back you idiot! NOW! _How dare you!_" She screeched over at the Order while tussling with the Death Eater. "How dare you allow _children_ to become injured and then not allow them to come to me for help!"

"Er... that's Poppy." Harry said to Voldemort. "She is the Nurse here. She is devoted to the Students well-being... and... apparently very _feisty_."

"So I see. Give the woman her wand." Voldemort ordered his struggling red faced Death Eater. He did and Poppy rushed over to Millicent.

"You have been informed by your House of the names of all those students involved in the attack and the four Order who were guarding them, Severus?" Voldemort questioned.

"Yes, my Lord."

"This is _not_ a minor injury!" Poppy suddenly spat. "She will probably be scarred for life and is in terrible pain!"

"You have my leave to punish the Students involved as you see fit, Severus. The members of the Order responsible will be put to death."

There were shouts of protest from the Order, who were all standing along the Gryffindor table under the pointing wands of thirty or so Death Eaters.

Harry ran narrowed eyes over them for the first time. They stopped and stared fixedly at Mad-Eye Moody. He pointed his wand at him and with a whispered command in Parselmagic he was dragged to the centre of the Great Hall. Harry repeated the action ten more times along the line as he picked the ones he wanted, leaving fifteen or so behind. He then swung his wand at the tables pushing them back.

"Snape." He said in an icy voice. "Are the _four_ included in this lot?"

"Yes," Severus nodded. Studying the group.

Harry walked over to Poppy and gently moved her aside. He looked at Millicent and smiled. "I can fix this for you Millicent." He ran his wand over her face chanting. The blue light encased her and after several minutes faded. "There. Good as new. No scarring at all." He conjured a mirror and handed it to her.

She started crying and Harry patted her shoulder. "Snape, take all your students up to the medical wing with Poppy, so they can be treated. I have some some business to attend to that they should not see."

Severus took one look at Harry's face and turned to his Lord. Voldemort gave him a nod.

"Thank you, Potter, for helping her." Snape said very stiltedly.

Harry just raised a brow and nodded, looking at the first year still clinging to his hand. Draco had always said Snape was nothing like he seemed. Harry had never believed him. Snape now bent and picked the girl up, sitting her on his hip. He ushered his students towards the exit.

As soon as they had gone, Harry looked at the pale frightened faces of the Order looking back at him. "Let's recreate the duel you _brave_ members had with Draco Malfoy and myself, twelve days ago. Only this time, _I_ will be aware that you are murderers, torturers and sadists! There were fifteen of you in all, including Dumbledore. Now there are only eleven of you left." He looked at the Death Eaters. "Give them their wands!"

"Where is my son, Harry." Arthur Weasley said quietly.

"Dead, Mr Weasley. As are his two bodyguards. Live by the sword, Die by the sword. Do not expect anything less from me. My war started with you the second you all opened fire on Draco. Now I'm going to end it."

"Don't be a bloody fool, boy." Kingsley Shacklebolt said, "You can't take on eleven of us!"

"_I will stand for my son's wife and soul bonded! Hermione Granger!_" A cold voice hissed from the doorway, and Lucius, his eyes wild, his clothes dishevelled and bloodied, came to stand by Harry's side. "_My vengeance is hers!_"

The Order looked confused, then as realisation hit, horrified. "But she was _alive_... she..." Kingsley broke off staring at Harry. "_She was with child?_"

"But Ron _told_ us... DUMBLEDORE, _told_ us..." Arthur Weasley was shaking his head. "_Dumbledore_ said _you_ were _allied_ to the _Dark Lord,_ he _said Draco was your _lover and had turned you... he said because of the Prophecy if you were not returned to us..."

Harry smiled and Arthur took a step back. "'_So the people will pay the penalty for their kings' presumption, who, by devising evil, turn justice from her path with tortuous speech_.'" He said softly.

Voldemort closed his eyes in delight. The Brat was just delicious. Delicious! _Hesiod_. A firm favourite of his. He wondered if the Brat, like him, was convinced that the Greek Poet had been a wizard. He would have to ask him. And his meeting with the muses. He wondered the Brat's opinion on them... his thought broke as Bella skipped in literally covered in blood. She was dancing around what was left of Dumbledore as she levitated him through the hall. Narcissa followed, pristine in appearance apart from a speck of blood on her white cheek.

Bella dumped the body in front of the top table where the Professor's sat, laughing madly at their shocked faces. She twirled around and took high sneaking side to side steps towards Harry, putting her finger to her puckered lips as the Order watched her advance over his shoulder.

"BOO!" She shouted in his ear, cackling as he jumped a foot in the air. She pulled her wand. Her face morphing into a malicious snarl as she stood by his side and faced the Order. She stroked a hand down Harry's Hair.

"Baby Potter is all big and strong." She cooed. "_NOW THE GROWN UPS HAVE COME TO PLAY!"_ She slashed her wand at Kingsley Shacklebolt. "_Crucio!_" As Kingsley roared in agony and went down, the battle began.

Voldemort watched its progress with Nagini.

'_Ssshould __we__ not be a part of thisss battle, Massster._' She hissed sulkily.

But Voldemort was entranced, watching the Brat duck and dive and jump and twirl as he concentrated on Mad-Eye while deflecting the curses being thrown at him by three other members of the Order. He was using Parselmagic and his opponents never knew what was coming next as knives flew through the air, the ground turned to ice, and fiery snakes struck at their throats. He was so elegant and... his eyes widened as Harry sent a spell and it completely encased one of the Order members in a cylinder of red light. The man started screaming as the light pulsed and on every pulse it was crushing him more and more. He was effectively out of the battle as Harry turned back to Moody.

The man died and the light around him faded. The Brat was... one of the other members who was trying to distract him was suddenly frozen solid, encased in ice, and again the red cylindrical light was cast at him. The crushing prison shattered the man on its second pulse. And the Brat was sneering in contempt at the ease with which he was able to hold them off, his robe flying around his legs, his eyes black and shining in a white face, the welt livid against his skin. And he was too terrible to look in the face as other members shrank back now from engaging him in battle, not able to comprehend that this was their Saviour, their own kind Harry Potter. And Voldemort found him _inexpressively_ _beautiful_.

Lucius was elegantly impressive as always, stalking around as he fought, slashing his wand in vicious precise movements, slicing his opponents skin to the bone, shredding muscle and tissue and opening veins and arteries with the precision of a surgeon. And Bella... well Bella was just mad. She had killed Kingsley and he smiled as he watched her leap on the back of Arthur Wesley and gauge at his eyeballs. "_SHINY!_" She screamed. Making the Brat look at her and laugh. He noticed Narcissa, standing on the sidelines, flicking her wand every now and then. She was throwing up defensive shields around the three as needed.

He let the battle continue on for a few more minutes. Then he raised his wand in the air and slammed it down. At the same time five Order members left the ground to rise in the air, then slam down on their backs with tremendous force. The muted boom of the spell resounded around the hall. He circled the Elder Wand and the dazed flattened bodies began to slide across the floor to the centre of the gravitational pull he had created.

_'Finisssh them, Nagini.'_ He ordered not taking his eyes off Harry. The snake hissed happily and was amongst the pile of bodies within seconds, striking out with her fangs in a delirious frenzy of death.

Two Order members had already been killed by Harry, two by Lucius and one by Bella. The only one left standing now was Mad-Eye, duelling the Brat.

Lucius, Narcissa and Bella came to stand by his side.

"Put it _down_, Bella." Voldemort said, not looking at her as he watched his former wand turn into a whip again with a plaited steel lash.

Bella pouted and threw Arthur's Weasley's shiny eyeball at the pile of bodies Nagini was rolling in.

Harry whispered to the whip. Of its own accord the metal lash struck out with such force that the strike decapitated Moody. His head fell, and for seconds his body remained upright before it slumped to the ground.

Harry sheathed his wand. He turned and looked at Lucius and Narcissa. "Lord and Lady Malfoy, everyone who had a hand in your Son's murder, or stood by and watched, are now dead."

Lucius bowed to Harry, his face pale and anguished. He put an arm around his wife as she began to weep.

Harry looked into solid red eyes and for a moment he was so afraid of what was to come that he couldn't move. He was to live and it terrified him. He nodded his head slowly to the man who had decided it, then turned and walked towards the double doors leading out of the Hall.

As he passed what was left of the Order called in to patrol Hogwarts, Molly Weasley spat at him. He continued on steadily. Not looking back. If he had, he would have seen a jet of green light leave the Elder Wand and engulf the wretched woman in its beautiful misty haze.

~HPLV~

.

_'I thought we were keeping him!_' Nagini spat furiously, later that night as Voldemort sat back in his private rooms at Malfoy Manor.

'_He will be back, Pet. He needsss time_.'

Voldemort stood and stretched. He put his hand in his robe pocket and pulled out the button the Brat had given him, watching the colours glinting at him as he turned it in the light. Since his resurrection, no had touched him, no one had treated him as the Brat did. No one had seen him as the Brat did. No one had looked at him long enough to see _him_. The Brat looked upon him and saw, among other things, a bottomless well of _knowledge_, a would be Philosopher, a Scholar, a Genius. Someone who could change the world and mould Magical Britain into the great nation it _should_ be.

He saw past the bitter need for vengeance that had ruled most of his actions since he was but a child entering a world he had _known_ belonged to him as much as he had belonged to it. He looked past the raw fury of Dumbledore writing him off and discarding all of his potential before he had had a chance to prove himself. He looked past the chronic impatience he felt to take the magical world by the scruff of its neck and shake the dross from it by any means necessary.

The Brat saw him as he had once seen himself, a _very_ long time ago. And his words still bounced around in his head refusing to not be heard. "_For almost seven years it has shown me it is filled with nothing but hate and hypocrisy and ignorance and prejudice. It is weak, its people are cowards, and it can burn." _And perhaps the most damning of all; "_I have given you the means to rule its people, if you don't change it, you will be the Greatest Wizard of all time ruling a world of nothing but dust and ashes."_

He walked over to a glass box and waved the Elder Wand over it. It opened and he laid the button in it amongst his Horcruxes, then resealed it. He placed the Invisibility Cloak on the table beside his bed and laid his ring and the Elder Wand on it, watching the static light burst into life and dance around and over the three most invaluable, most powerful, relics in the magical world. The Deathly Hallows. His. Because of the Brat.

Tomorrow, he would take the Ministry of Magic proper. His people were already fully infiltrated into every department of worth. But tomorrow he would dispose of everyone who was a threat to him and the rule of Lord Voldemort would begin in Magical Britain. The Order members who had remained at Hogwarts after the Brat's departure had been executed. All known members were now being hunted down. Including the rest of the Weasley family. The Brat, he had no doubt, would have spared them... but at some point now or in the future, they would seek vengeance on him for their parents and brother. It was the way of things and he would not risk it.

There would be stragglers. Members of the Order who had not been present at Hogwarts and were unknown by him or Lucius. They would perhaps organise uprisings, rebels. If they did, he would crush them until there was no one left. Then, he _would_ change this world.

The Professor's at Hogwarts had been given choices; most, like Mcgonagal, had known nothing of Draco's murder or the Brat's subsequent torture. They all now knew the truth and had made the choice whether to remain teaching there or leave. Severus was there, taking on the role of Headmaster. He was hard, but fair, and tomorrow, along with Mcgonagal, who remained as Deputy Headmistress, he would hold an early morning assembly and tell the truth of Draco and Granger's death, and the disappearance and torture of their Boy-who-Lived. As would the Daily Prophet. The full story was to be printed in the morning additions. Then the students would be sent home and not return until January.

As Voldemort laid back amongst his pillows something hard dug into his shoulder. He sat up and lifted the pillows back to see a large immensely thick rectangular shaped object, wrapped in a _Gryffindor _Scarf. The Brat. He picked it up and was shocked by it's weight. He unwound the offensively coloured scarf from what was a very old, very large, tome, bound in rich deep green leather inlaid with silver filigree and snakes. He rested it on his lap and carefully opened the cover.

Written inside it in perfect script it said;

_When you find this, my little life will be over. I say 'little' because whenever I read this book, the difference between true greatness and mediocrity stretched before me like a yawning chasm. This then is my final and most treasured gift to you, though it has never been mine. I found it, as I told you, when I was twelve, hidden in a stone column in the Chamber of Secrets. I don't know if you were ever aware of it and for some unlucky reason had to leave it behind, or if you have never seen it. It has always been yours. I have been privileged enough to 'borrow' it and learn the true meaning and value of knowledge and magic from it. _

_I want you to know that had there been a final battle, I had taken steps to ensure that it would be returned to you alone, and had charmed it to open to none other until it reached your hands. _

_Salazar Slytherin was truly the Greatest Wizard and Philosopher of his time. Perhaps all time. You will be too. _

_Merry Christmas, Voldemort. _

_The Brat._

He skimmed through pages of Notes, Spells, Potions Recipes, _Parselmagic_, Diagrams; page upon page of Ancient Magicks and Rituals long lost to the world. A section on Salazar's thoughts and Philosophy, a diary of over a thousand pages of script devoted to them, most of which were written in Parseltongue. Voldemort ran shaking fingers over a yellowed page of parchment, the hand written calligraphy exquisite.

He hadn't known of the tome's existence.

.

.

Authors Note: Thanks to all you reviewers – I'm awed by all your kind comments.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning:** This Story contains **SLASH**, **LV/HP** if this offends _please_ do not read.

******Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to JK Rowling

_'Parseltongue'_

**Warning: **Lemons and a bit er... fluffy

An Unwise Murder

Chapter Four

.

The day before Christmas Eve, Lucius came into his office. He looked pale and anxious.

Voldemort had moved into Slytherin Manor. The fact that the Brat had screamed at him that he hated being in the same house as the babe, hated that his friends were dead and buried down by the lake but he _wasn't_, had nothing to do with it. No. His takeover was complete. Within days Voldemort had been well and truly _in_ _control_.

And the _Brat_ was well and truly _out_ _of_ _control_.

He had first appeared back at Malfoy Manor four days after the taking of Hogwarts. Voldemort had sat at his desk in his private suite listening to the shouting as it grew louder the closer it got to his rooms.

"Get off my leg you stupid creature!"

"_You are not going into his Lordness' private rooms! _He does not allow it! Bad _bad_ Harry Potter! Yous is getting _back_ down stairs until I tells him yous is here!"

"_Nagini! Get thisss bloody elf off me!_"

There was a thump and a shriek and then the Brat burst into his private rooms. He looked wild and pale and angry and... relieved to see him. He opened his mouth and... mouthed off offensively about not being dead and buried; hissed that he was a selfish inconsiderate bastard for _making_ him come _here _to see him when he loathed the place; and warned him that if the 'fucking house elf' called him 'bad Harry Potter' just _one more time_, he would kill it and that was a promise. Then he threw himself down in the chair opposite him, silently staring at him for two hours.

Voldemort had studiously ignored him and the burning resentful eyes boring a hole in his head, and continued to draw up a new curriculum for Hogwarts.

"All right, Brat," Voldemort threw down his quill as he finally finished his work. "I will move into Slytherin Manor tomorrow. The floo will be open to you and wards will recognise my former wand's signature."

Harry stood up and left.

So a pattern had began. The Brat would appear anytime during the day, _every day_, like a mini tornado, to rant and rave at him, stare at him, then disappear at nightfall. By the end of the first week of this behaviour, he looked like the walking dead, smelt like a brewery and his hair could have housed crows. He clearly was not sleeping at all as the shadows under his eyes grew darker daily. Even Nagini had given up. She had slapped him resoundingly around the back of the head with her tail during one of his mad tirades, told him to grow up, and left the room with her head in the air.

When Voldemort was with him, his pain and anger and worse his _completely_ random _banal_ thoughts rattled around in his head until his teeth screamed and he had began to wish he _had_ killed the Brat just to get some peace! So he had developed a strong barrier to block him from his mind. He only saw what _he_ wanted to see, when _he_ wanted to see it. He knew the Brat was pushing him to kill him. Raise his wand and end his misery. He saw his fury at him that clouded his senses while at the same time his fascination and need to be near him overrode his futile attempts to stay away.

In the middle of the second week, the murders had begun. Members of the Order of the Phoenix, unknown to him or Lucius, had started to appear on his doorstep with OTP carved into their foreheads. Not that he minded, it was quite useful in fact. But why on his _doorstep?_ Were they a gift? A 'statement' he didn't understand? Or more likely, knowing the Brat's frame of mind at the moment, just an inconvenience for him to clean up. The _staring_ was a still a daily occurrence, the Brat would arrive, search him out, scream and shout at him and stare. Intense furious stares, or completely lost stares, or 'I don't understand' stares. Then he would get up and disappear, either back to Grimmauld Place, or Diagon Ally, to drink and get into fights. He had been arrested twice and Lucius had dealt with it. Voldemort had decided to have him very discreetly followed by a bodyguard of Death Eaters who were only to interfere if the little nuisance was about to get himself killed.

Then there were the screaming matches with Bella if she happened to visit when the Brat was there. And Voldemort made sure she did. They would argue and fight about blood and muggles and then start throwing hexes at each other and spitting insults. After several incidences of this Bella reluctantly conceded on 'blood', but nothing would change her mind about muggles. So the fights and hexing continued until one of them got hurt and then the Brat would heal Bella or himself and they'd have a drink. Voldemort encouraged it because he could see the Brat enjoyed it. Especially the duelling. Bella was deceptive, she may be mad but he had taught her himself. She was not to be taken lightly in battle. It tested them both and as long as no curses were being thrown, Voldemort was content.

Fifteen days in, he hadn't been at home for one of the Brat's mad invasions. He had gone to the Ministry to check on how things were running. Then onto the Ministry in France to have talks and attend a reception with Lucius. When he had returned home late that night the Brat was there in a semi-catatonic state, seemingly having a panic attack at the same time. Nagini was wrapped around him having her own mini-meltdown, spitting that the Brat had convinced himself that he was dead. The fact that he _couldn't_ die seemed to have slipped the Brat's mind completely. Voldemort had spent over an hour sitting next to him talking nonsense until the glazed eyes had suddenly focused. For long minutes the Brat hadn't said anything, just stared at him, his mouth working silently, his face white. Then as the stark fear in his eyes had faded he had finally spat at him that he was a selfish bastard for not leaving a _note_, got up, and left. Voldemort had made sure he was always at home after that.

The following night, Voldemort had felt the wards disturbance in the early hours of the morning. He had wondered what it meant. Would he go down in the morning and find bodies piled up in his breakfast room. Would the level of his malt whiskey have drained from full to empty. Would his library be wrecked as the Brat pulled book after book out, _never_ returning it to it's rightful place as he either sneered with disgust and threw it down, or raised his brows and tapped it with his wand, marking it for later reading. Voldemort had wondered if he realised what that meant. But the Brat seemed unaware as he marked his own personal mini library out of the huge selection of books Voldemort owned.

So he had laid listening, half amused half annoyed. When he had heard him creeping up the stairs he closed his eyes and pretended to sleep. The door opened and quiet footsteps approached the bed. After a long moment he heard the noise of an armchair, one of two situated by the fire, being moved. On occasion they had sat opposite each other in this room when the Brat had stormed through the Mansion to find him in his favourite chair with his favourite drink, reading Salazar's tome. Then he would sit quietly opposite him and close his eyes. His riotous brain would quieten, reconnect, and his intelligence shine through. Almost as if the mere sight of the book was such a _reverent_ thing to him that it calmed him completely. Eventually they would have a discussion about the book; its magic, or Salazar's thinking, or the use of the older rituals.

The chair had been dragged across the room and Voldemort had felt his covers shift as the Brat pushed it flush against his side of the bed. Then the sound of him getting comfortable, a sigh, and the heavy rhythmic breathing of sleep. When he opened his eyes he saw by the fire light that Harry was curled up in _his_ favourite armchair. His white face completely relaxed for once, his lashes casting shadows on his cheeks, the welt looking less raised and livid. He had asked him once, why, as he was a natural healer, he did not remove it. The Brat had just looked at him for a long time, his expression unreadable. Then he had said that he wanted to keep it to remember.

Voldemort had watched him sleeping for some time, before covering him with a large soft duvet.

He had left his chair by the bed and installed another by the fire. It wasn't as comfortable, it didn't fit his body in the same way. But if for some obscure reason the Brat could only find sleep in his old chair, so be it. Every night since, the Brat had slept thus. Only last night, he hadn't appeared, and so far today, it now being late afternoon, he hadn't stormed his Mansion. Voldemort tried not to dwell on how much he didn't like it.

"How are thing's at the Ministry, Lucius? Is there a problem?" Voldemort asked sharply, coming back to the present. Lucius was now Minister of Magic, and he took his duties very seriously. To come here in person... and he looked... very distressed.

"My, Lord. It is _Harry_."

For a second Voldemort froze. He felt blood drain from his face so quickly it left him feeling ill. "Is the Brat _dead?_" He hissed.

"_What?!_... _no_..." Lucius backed away slightly from the look on his Lord's face. "No, but he has been... _arrested_... My Lord." He added quickly.

Voldemort was so very tempted to _end_ Lucius for giving him such a fright that he had to clench his fists. "_Is that all?_ Well release him and tell him to come and see me immediately. I will speak to him. Was he fighting again, drunk... what?"

"My Lord," Lucius said gravely. "He was arrested last night on suspicion of _murder._ His muggle family are all dead. The _muggle_ police have Harry in custody. One of ours is acting as his solicitor. Harry refuses to speak at all."

Voldemort's lips tightened and he narrowed his eyes to slits. "Tell me every last detail, Lucius!" He spat.

~HPLV~

Voldemort took care of it himself. Having seen the 'Harry Hunting' in the Brat's mind the same day he had discovered he was his Horcrux, he formulated a plan that would allow the Brat to walk free in his _muggle_ world. He _could_ just walk into the Police station and collect him, but that would make Harry Potter a 'wanted criminal'. He could just walk in and collect him and then blow the station up and every muggle in it for daring to incarcerate the Brat... but he had a feeling the Brat would be angry at him for such an action and he had enough of his 'anger' directed at him already. He didn't want to make it even worse.

As soon as he had the information he needed, that same night, while the Brat was safely locked up in a cell, he cut the throats of the four associates of the Brat's cousin while they slept in their beds in the same manner that Harry had murdered the Dursley's. All of them were found by their parents shortly after. Voldemort made sure of it.

It was very quickly asserted by the Police that Dudley Dursley and his gang had become the victims of their own sordid lifestyle which included drug running, extortion, and robbery. Petunia and Vernon Dursley were unlucky enough to have been caught up in their son's murder whereas the other four sets of parents had slept soundly through the attacks. In their opinion it was gang related. Harry Potter, arriving home from boarding school for Christmas, had gone into shock on finding them. When the police had arrived so promptly, having been alerted of a disturbance by an elderly neighbour, he had not been _able_ to speak. It was deemed lucky for Potter that he had not arrived minutes sooner, or he would have been a victim too.

Harry was apologised to and transported to the local hospital. It was assumed he was severely traumatised as he still hadn't spoken a word. They were in fact correct. Harry just couldn't believe he had actually killed the Dursley's. Worse for Harry was when a 'happy' Social Worker turned up because he was still considered a minor until he turned eighteen. She sat speaking to him encouragingly, while he lay on a bed staring at the wall, as if he was two years old. She could only have been a year or two older than he was herself! Harry thought acidly. It was Christmas Eve, early evening. Was he going to have to spend Christmas in here? Talking to a shrink?!

When Bella walked into his room he nearly fell off the bed. "_Potter_." she spat. "What is the meaning of that disgusting floral robe you are wearing! Your arse is hanging out of it! Put this on!" She threw a dark green robe at his face.

"Hi, I'm Hilary." Trilled the smiling shiny faced Social Worker, leaping up from a high backed seat that had hidden her from view and holding out her hand.

Bella jumped back and hissed. "_Approach me not!_"

Hilary frowned. Then smiled again. "Sorry, you are...?"

"_His aunt, muggle!_" Bella snapped, her eyes wide and wild. "I'm taking him home. You... go away!"

"Oh I had no idea he had another aunt, he hasn't spoken at all yet. I'm so _sorry_ for you loss. Were you related to Petunia Dursley or..."

"POTTER!" Bella screeched, slapping her hands over her ears and staring at the sympathetic face of Hilary in complete horror and disgust. "MAKE IT STOP _SPEAKING!_"

Hilary shook her head and her finger at Bella. "No, no, he can't go with you. You are obviously as traumatised as he is. More so in fact. You need medical help. Harry is due to be sedated soon. Poor little mite, it looks as if it's been a very long time since he had any sleep. And he is half starved! Also he is covered in scars that need to be investigated. No I'm sorry, Aunty Muggle. Harry is staying right here."

Bella went apoplectic. "Did _you_ just call _me..._ Aunty Muggle." She bit out.

"Oh, so I did. Sorry." Hilary giggled. "Force of habit, I usually deal with much younger children. Harry has to stay here I'm afraid, until he has seen a Psychologist, Ms Muggle."

Bella pulled her wand. "Goodbye, _Hilary_." She hissed. "_Avada_...

"_Bella_," Harry croaked. "Just _Obliviate_ her and get me the fuck out of here. I need to get my wand."

~HPLV~

"So, we went back to his filthy muggle hovel and he retrieved his wand from a cupboard where he had chucked it before he was arrested. My Lord, his filthy family had made him live in it for eleven years! I was quite overcome when he showed me a little toy soldier he had stolen. His only toy! It was still there, standing on a shelf! And pictures drawn by an infant were there too. Anyway, then we had this _huge_ row about muggles and we exchanged a few hexes. Though I didn't push him too hard as I felt sorry for the little bastard..."

"Bella." Voldemort interrupted. "I did not send you to squabble with the Brat, I sent you to get him out of the hospital."

"We sort of made up because he said though it hadn't been one of your _wisest_ decisions to send _me _to get him from a _muggle_ hospital, I had done well not to kill one... so, if I killed the squib Arabella Figg for him, who lived next door and had called the Police before he had even entered the house to wish his family Merry Yule, he would give me something _shiny_ for Yule! He thanked me, then he apparated away, my Lord." Bella finished her story and bowed.

"Did you dispose of the squib, Bella?" Voldemort asked, somewhat understanding now how Harry had managed to get himself 'caught' in the first place.

"Yeees. She spied on Potter for years you know, for Dumbledore. She knew the Order were all dead and said Potter was a dirty traitor. She wanted revenge. I taught her the meaning of it, my Lord. Her house smelt of cabbage."

Voldemort nodded. "Very well, Bella, you can go."

Voldemort made his way upstairs. As he prepared himself for bed he realised it was Christmas Eve. He cast tempus and saw in fact, that it was Christmas day. He made himself comfortable with Salazar's tome. He opened the cover and skimmed the inscription to read; '_Merry Christmas, Voldemort. The Brat.'_ He turned the pages to his bookmark and began to read.

~HPLV~

Harry was, at that moment, standing on Hogwarts grounds. His sanctuary; that Dumbledore had turned into a castle of horror for him. If he could – he would have destroyed it until there was not a brick left standing. His gaze swept over the undisturbed expanse of snow that sparkled under the full moon like a rolling sea of Mother of Pearl. It had enthralled him every winter, here at the place he had considered his home. He hadn't realised the effect the moon could have on snow until he had come here and seen it on one of his outside wanderings beneath his invisibility cloak. He had thought it the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

As he moved his head around now it glimmered with pinpricks of sparkling light and colour, blues and mauves and reds and... he just stood and stared. He had been doing a lot of that lately. Staring. And screaming and shouting and pushing Voldemort to the limits of his endurance so he would raise his wand and end his misery. It hadn't worked. The Dark Lord had the patience of a saint – for him anyway. There was no peace anywhere for Harry apart from nights spent in a chair beside the bed of his former enemy. So he had gone to his relatives, to try to make sense of it all; back to the beginning. He thought maybe, if he attempted to make peace with _them_, the rest would follow. It had been a bit of a mistake. Harry laughed shortly and shook his head.

He unsheathed his wand. The wand that had belonged to Voldemort, feeling the thrill of power, the sense of belonging as he held it in his hand... He drew it across his left palm making a shallow cut. Carefully he made a fist and watched as the first splash of blood hit the snow, then he moved his hand slightly along and watched a second fall. He became mesmerised by the contrast and just stared, his mind replaying every single conversation, every nuance and look and touch that had been exchanged between him and the Dark Lord since the day he had apparated into the drawing room at Malfoy Manor, holding Hermione's body.

He closed his eyes as a sense of intense calm washed over him and the deafening cacophony that plagued his brain evaporated. He took a deep relieved breath and walked to the gates. Once there he apparated to Grimmauld Place.

~HPLV~

When Voldemort awoke, the Brat was staring down at him. He smelt of spices, his hair was loose around his shoulders and shinning in the firelight, his eyes were dark and intense. He smiled and began to undress, first his boots, his trousers, and then his robe and green silk boxers. He laid his clothes on the chair by the bed. Voldemort pulled the Duvet back and the Brat slid into his bed and into his arms.

"It is over, Brat?" Voldemort questioned stroking his hair as Harry laid his head under his chin, rubbing his cheek against the skin of his chest like a cat.

"It's over." Harry said. He ran his fingers over soft cool skin, feeling lean perfectly formed muscle, the perfect proportions and elegant shape of the body, the perfect smoothness of the hairless skin.

Voldemort shuddered as the light caresses of deliciously warm hands explored the lines of his body as if committing them to memory. The Brat left no curve, no rib, no hip or thigh untouched. As his fingers ran over his hardening appendage, he closed his eyes.

"And you are here to stay." Voldemort shifted his weight, rolling over the too slender form of the Brat, running his hand over his throat and along the curve of his shoulder.

"My trunk is downstairs."

The Brat grinned up at him, the flash of white teeth and the scar on his cheek giving him a sudden roguish charm that shot straight to Voldemort's loins. He growled and attacked his mouth, tasting mint and whiskey.

"Nagini will be so pleased." He said ghosting over pale pink lips. As Harry gave a bark of laughter, Voldemort covered his mouth fully and the kiss became passionate and urgent as tongues met and explored and they became familiar with the taste of each other.

Harry started to moan and began thrusting up against Voldemort's sleek undulating movements as he pressed their naked flesh together. He was so hard it was painful and the feel of Voldemort's solid member gliding against his was almost too much. He gasped as a long slick finger began to probe him softly then more firmly until Harry flung his arms around Voldemort's neck and reared up. He clung onto strong shoulders as Voldemort's finger slid in to the knuckle.

"Relax." He said gently, and lowered him back down on the bed and covered his mouth, watching the slight panic fade from his dark green eyes as his tongue stroked his soothingly, and his hips kept up their slow lazy seduction. After some moments he eased a second slick finger into the impossibly tight warmth, crooking them and rubbing against the knot that had Harry opening his legs as wide as he could and begin to push back down onto his fingers.

"Yesss my adorable Brat." Voldemort hissed against his lips, pushing deeper. He added a third finger and carefully began to stretch him.

When he was ready Voldemort moved back and pulling his fingers from Harry pushed into him smoothly laying over him again to take a pale nipple into his mouth, sucking on it as his hips moved languidly and he felt muscles beginning to relax around him.

Harry moaned as pure sensation took over from the burn of entry and he melted. Voldemort began to roll his hips and brush against the area that made him mewl with every stroke. It was slow and gentle and smooth and easy and beautiful and unexpected and executed with such finesse... "_Kiss me_", Harry moaned hoarsely. "Gods, Voldemort, _kiss_ me."

Voldemort lifted his head and looked at the urgent face and begging eyes. He wasn't taken aback anymore by the Brat's need for him, his want of his touch, his fascination. He was enthralled by it. Spellbound by the slender body beneath him that was so strong, the Brat's uncompromising edge of darkness, and the powerful magic that would develop under his tutelage. As would his challenging intellect and thirst for knowledge. He covered the sweet mouth with his, tasting him and moving with more urgency, his whole body alive with the complete _thrill_ of him. He wrapped his fingers around his warm perfect cock and began to stroke it rhythmically, swallowing the gasps it evoked.

"Harry," he murmured against his lips, "Harry. You are my _passion_."

Hearing the words spoken with such tenderness from the lips of the most feared Wizard in the world, Harry came with a shuddering exquisite rush, lifting his legs and wrapping them around the slim hips, clenching around Voldemort tightly as he felt the powerful pulsing and slowed hard thrusts of the shimmering being above him as he climaxed. For the first time Harry saw those solid red eyes change and lighten, reflecting the light playing over his face from the fire.

Afterwards he lay quietly in the pale cool arms, his cheek pressed against Voldemort's, and his whole body melted anew under the light stroking hands running over his back, the fingers tracing the lines of his scars every now and then.

"I went to see them," Harry began. "They had hated me all of my life. I thought... I thought that if I made some kind of _peace_ with them... As soon as I got in there they started on me. Dudley pushing me around, Vernon turning purple and shouting at the top of his voice. Petunia screeching about how I never come home for Christmas and what did I think I was playing at. And I thought the two best people I had ever known are dead and _you three_ are alive. Vernon got hold of me by the scruff of my neck and dragged me towards the front door as if he was putting out the rubbish... and that's how they had treated me all of my life, as if I was rubbish they couldn't wait to put out. I just snapped...

"When I came back to myself I couldn't _believe_ I'd done it. I would _never_ have hurt them. I have _magic_, they don't, I don't attack and _kill_ defenceless, weak, muggles, even if they are the most obnoxious people on the planet, and I think my family definitely were. I just stood there in the hallway staring at them. Then the Police were there, _so fast_, and... as they took me away I saw _Arabella Figg_, standing on the front lawn watching me with a smirk on her face. Dumbledore's spy, a member of The Order of The Phoenix who had supposedly been keeping her eye on me as I was 'growing up'. She didn't do a very good job. Her spite was her stupidity because I had _forgotten_ about her... that she was a member of the Order." Harry grimaced, "I bribed Bella to do it for me, I needed to go... to Hogwarts."

Harry lifted his head staring into red eyes. "You said I'd find my place in _this_ world, and I know that it is with _you_. But I'm not a killer. I have killed, with reason, and will again _if_ I have reason. The members of the Order I have been leaving on your doorstep were _necessary_. If they had lived, they would have begun to incite rebellion, recruited as many members as they could. Only to then be put down by you. Arabella was the last of The Order, they are over."

"_Vitualamen pauci ut servo plures_" Voldemort said running a light finger down the welt on his cheek. "'_Sacrifice the few to save the many._' And you are quite right of course. I would have crushed them and enjoyed it. You see me as many things, Brat, do not forget in your veneration for my _mind_ that I _am_ a killer. But... you can be my... voice of reason. I have thought of your words often. I do not wish to rule dust and ashes. And Ignorance is a lack of knowledge as is prejudice. Proper education will help. Later we will speak more of blood..." He broke off as the Brat pounced on him, covering his mouth with his.

Voldemort clasped the warm body against him tightly, wondering if there was a deity somewhere he should be thanking.

"Show me again," Harry said dragging his lips down across his throat. "You said I was your passion. Show me again," He began to undulate along his body as Voldemort had done to him. He didn't think his movement or technique was in the same class but it felt good and Voldemort seemed to...

"You want my Passion for you, Brat?" Harry was flipped onto his back. "Then you shall have it."

It was as far removed from the slow exquisite gentleness of the first time as the moon is from the sun. It was hard and fast and urgent and took Harry to heights he didn't know existed. As he lay under the pounding body he thought maybe he was in love. As he stroked and then clung onto the shoulders above him, chanting his name and staring into eyes blazing with light and fire, he was sure of it.

~HPLV~

'_About time ssselfisssh Brat!_' Nagini spat as she slithered into the breakfast room and onto Harry's lap as he chewed a piece of sausage staring at the man opposite him. They were having a late brunch as neither had wanted to leave their bed for mere food. Harry could have stayed there all day but Voldemort insisted he had to eat as he was too thin. When Harry had said they could eat in bed Voldemort had looked at him horrified.

Harry stroked her coils as they wound around him. '_It would be nice if you at leassst called me Harry._'

_'No._' Nagini hissed, her tongue flickering over his face.

'_I'm beginning to think that sssaying 'no' to me isss your favourite thing_.' Harry looked at her and smiled. '_That and sssmacking me with your tail.'_

'_You dessserved it. You were obnoxiousss. Have you a presssent for me? Massster alwaysss givesss me a muggle for Yule and..._'

_'Nagini!'_ Voldemort hissed angrily. _'SSSHUT UP!' _He looked at the Brat's shocked face_. "_Well, obviously, _Harry_, I won't be doing _that_ anymore." He smiled solicitously and carried on eating his breakfast.

Harry shook his head and transfigured four sausages into big fat rats. Nagini hissed happily and shot off him to catch them. He looked at Voldemort who was studiously ignoring him and laughed. "Are there any other Christmas traditions that need 'tweaking' now that I'm here?" He asked.

"No." Voldemort said shortly, thinking of all the 'Yule muggles' he had given to Bella over the years. But he hadn't given her _any_ since his _return_, so hopefully she'd keep her mouth shut about it. As he thought it, Bella burst into the room. He pulled out his wand to kill her.

"Happy Yule!" She shouted loudly bowing to Voldemort. "Potter! Where's my shiny present! Cabbage Squib is dead!"

Harry laughed and rose to his feet. He eyed the Elder Wand in Voldemort's hand with a raised brow. Voldemort sheathed it.

"How did you know I was here?" Harry asked walking over to a package he had left on a small table.

"House elves. My Lord's told Narcissa's, who told mine, who told the Parkinson's, who told... on and on... Everyone knows. They are the biggest gossips in the whole of the world." She started to bounce up and down as he handed her the package. She ripped the paper off and opened the box. Her breath hissed as she stared into it not moving.

"Does this mean I have to like you now?" she asked suspiciously.

"No. It means you have to _love_ me." Harry rolled his eyes. "I said I would give you something shiny. You have it. That is all. Go away and do whatever it is you do on Christmas day. As long as it doesn't involve muggles and death." He added drily.

Bella shook her head absently still staring into the box. "No, not any more. Narcissa wants you both to come for dinner tonight. Potter, do you want me to Crucio anyone for you. Severus perhaps? He's at Malfoy Manor already getting on my nerves. Stupid man is treating me like a piece of glass just because I was limping a bit this morning."

"I'll take that as your way of saying 'thanks'. But no thanks. If you ever feel the need to speak to me again, call me Harry. Snape calls me _Potter_ and I can't stand it."

"I suppose." Bella removed the large diamond heart set on a long heavy platinum chain from the box and hung it around her neck. It fell to just above here waist and sparkled brightly against her black satin dress. She went into a trance stroking it lovingly. "I've never had any jewellery, Pot... Harry. Not that I was allowed to keep anyway. This is the most magnificent piece I've ever seen. I'm going now, goodbye." She said dazedly, staring down at the pendant. She walked out of the room forgetting to bow to Voldemort for the first time in her life.

Harry laughed and walked over to Voldemort. "That shut her up." He put his arms around the Dark Lord's neck and kissed him. "I haven't got anything for you I'm afraid. That was part of Hermione's Christmas present. I don't think you would appreciate the Rolex I was going to give Draco."

Voldemort hummed, licking Harry's lips. "What is there left that you could possibly give me, Brat. You have given me everything I ever wanted. And more. But, I do have something for you." He pulled a tiny wrapped package from his robe pocket and enlarged it. Holding it out to Harry.

Harry shook his head, knowing immediately what it was. "No, it's yours. I can't accept it. It shouldn't leave your possession, ever."

"It wont, as _you_ will never leave my possession, Harry. Take it. I will of course be borrowing it extensively. But it is _yours_."

Harry took Salazar's tome and unwrapped it with shaking fingers. He took a deep breath. "Thank you is so... _inadequate_. But thank you. This... this is..."

Voldemort smiled. "You can thank me properly in the bedroom."

"Oh, that will be my pleasure, _my Lord_." Harry bowed low with a grin slashing his lips.

Voldemort's eyes widened and his breath caught. "So soon, _Potter_," he drawled... watching the slight frown of confusion on the Brat's face at his statement and the flush appear on his white cheeks. "I admit I thought it would take you longer..." He grabbed him around the waist and apparated. Salazar's tome was dropped to the bedside table as they tore at each other's robes.

"Say it again, Potter!" Voldemort growled turning him roughly on all fours. A spell and the Brat was ready. He wanted him now this instant as his blood roared through his veins.

"My Lord!" Harry shouted. Then screamed as he was impaled by Voldemort's turgid member. He held onto the headboard as he was pounded into, trying to catch his breath. Then his hair was being pulled and hot lips were at his ear.

"Up on your knees, _Potter_, for your _Lord_". Voldemort hissed in a low evil voice he only ever used if someone was going to die.

Harry pushed up and an arm snaked around his waist as the tone of Voldemort's voice curled his toes and sent such shocks of pleasure throughout his body he was undone. "Fuck, I'm going to come!" he moaned.

"You will not until your Lord allows it, _Potter_." Voldemort spat, his voice even colder than before as he thrust up into him with such force Harry lifted off the bed.

"It's your _voice_! Oh my god your voice! I can't..." Harry, came, much to his shame, in long shuddering spasms that he thought were never going to end.

The sight of it, as Voldemort looked over his shoulder, and muscles squeezing tightly around him, had him shuddering in completion too.

Harry covered his face with his hands. "What _was_ that! Oh Christ! At the last battle you would have said '_And now you die, Potter!'_ In that _voice_, and I'd have come in my pants!"

Voldemort laughed. Casting a cleansing charm he pulled Harry down beside him watching with amusement as the Brat hid his face on his stomach. He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling his breath on his navel.

"It's not funny." Harry said in a muffled voice as he pressed his hot cheeks into Voldemort's cool skin.

"Brat, you will come to love it and _control_ it. Stop feeling shamed for taking pleasure in something that only you perceive as deviant. By the time I've finished, this will be nothing compared to the other things _you_ enjoy."

"What do you mean?" Harry lifted his head, panic written all over his face.

Voldemort smiled the most evil smile Harry had ever seen. "I can see into your mind, Harry Potter. Into your subconscious. I see your innermost desires, and believe me when I say that I shall take _great_ _pleasure_ in slowly making you realise each and every one of them."

Harry just stared. "You mean, all that, I... it was... that was what _I_ _wanted_?"

Voldemort pulled Harry up and over him staring into half scared, half excited, eyes. "Oh, yes. There are a lot of things you want, Harry. That was only one of them." His voice switched. "You want the _Dark Lord_ using you, _Potter_. You want to be told to kneel and to beg and to scream with pleasure. Don't you?"

Harry nodded slowly his eyes wide as the icily hissed voice made him shiver exquisitely and harden painfully as the red eyes hypnotised him.

Voldemort nodded along with him. "Yes, that's right. Now," he shifted Harry off him and stood them both up. "Down on knees before your Lord, _Potter_."

Harry knelt and looked up at Voldemort, then he leaned forward and took him into his mouth.

~HPLV~

"I'm not sure about this, Voldemort." Harry said as he dressed himself in a pale blue Louis Vuitton wool suit with a lighter blue shirt and dark blue silk tie. He adjusted his matching pocket silk and ran his fingers through his hair, slicking it back. "It's too soon." He turned to face Voldemort who was staring at him with a look of shock on his face.

"Draco made me buy it!" Harry said defensively. "For Christmas. We were all going to meet up and... What's up?"

Voldemort blinked at the tall suave man standing before him and shook his head. How many faces had his Brat got? He wondered. He looked lean and hungry and powerful. The scar on his face along with the dark 'five o'clock shadow' around his jawline gave him a dangerous and exciting quality that was reflected in his eyes.

"If you don't want to go, Harry, then we shall not go. It is as simple as that."

Harry's eyes wandered over Voldemort's tight dress robe to stop at his hips. "I can think of much better things to do." He muttered.

"You are insatiable, Brat." Voldemort turned away from the dark eyes and picked up his cape. He fastened it around his neck as the Brat's arms slid around his waist and spicy cologne hit his senses. "You will not distract me. We either go to this dinner or we stay. It is your decision."

"Is it tradition? Do you always go to the Malfoy's for Christmas Dinner." Harry asked trying to nuzzle Voldemort's neck.

"Before my return yes. Since my return I have refused all invitations."

Something in the set of Voldemort's shoulders and his tone of voice stilled Harry. He stepped back and stared at the rigid frame. "Then we shall go." He said. "It will please Lucius. You and he are... close."

"We were once, yes." Voldemort strode from the room.

Harry followed more slowly deep in thought.

They arrived at Malfoy Manor by floo. Lucius and Narcissa bowed as they entered the drawing room and the others stood, bowing low to Voldemort. Harry was relieved to see that the baby was not present. He had very mixed feelings about being here. He thought if Draco could see him now he would roll about with laughter as he was introduced to Rodolphus Lestrange. Draco had never liked him. Snape was coming forward, Bella was bouncing up to him with a wide grin as if relieved to see him only to be stopped and pulled back by Rodolphus. She wasn't wearing her 'shiny' Pendant. Harry frowned. He would have sworn there was no way she would have taken that off.

And then a hushed silence fell as Narcissa leaned forward and kissed Voldemort on both cheeks. "I have your favourite malt whiskey, Marvolo, it has been waiting for you these long years."

All eyes were on Voldemort in varying degrees of trepidation. He didn't bat an eyelid. He removed his cloak and handed it to a hovering house elf. He smiled at Narcissa. "I expected nothing less, Narcissa. A happy Yule to you all. Lucius, everything is well at the Ministry?"

The conversations started up again and Harry let out a silent breath.

Later they sat around a roaring fire full from the excellent food. During dinner Narcissa had began asking him questions about Hermione and Draco, and after the initial dropping of his stomach, Harry regaled them all with stories about the two that had her laughing and crying.

He now handed her the second part of what would have been Hermione's Christmas gift. It was a diamond Bracelet. As her initial shock wore off and she thanked him profusely, he handed Lucius the slim gold Rolex watch.

"Draco _coveted_ it."

Lucius looked at it curiously. "It is very... elegant. I shall wear it for him. Thank you, Harry." He snapped it onto his wrist and held it up. "It is eight thirty. Time for drinks."

Harry now felt a lot more relaxed, due no doubt to Voldemort's malt whiskey as he sat next to him and sipped his drink thinking he _may_ go down to the Monolith and pay his respects. He hadn't been there since the evening he had laid the roses...

"Lucius," Voldemort said. "I have something for you." He held out a long box engraved with snakes in green and silver.

Lucius raised a brow. "For me, my Lord. I..." He took the box and opened it. "M-my Lord! _How?_"

Voldemort sat back looking very smug. "Hard work and the Elder Wand."

Lucius took his formerly broken wand from the box and held it up. Silver sparks flew from its tip in an elegant display and his perfect hair lifted around his face.

"_Marvolo_," he said in astonishment. "This is unprecedented! It _should_ be impossible!" He stood up laughing, swishing his wand about and levitating various objects, then transfiguring others.

Again, Voldemort didn't bat an eyelid at the use of his name. "The magicks involved are complicated, but not impossible. I am working on the Brat's now. It should not take too much longer."

Lucius was playing like a child. "Oh this is wonderful, just _wonderful!_ Thank you, my friend, thank you!" He transfigured Narcissa's crystal into wood and she glared at him.

Harry looked at Voldemort and couldn't hide the disappointment he felt. He must have retrieved his broken wand from the wreckage of Dumbledore's office. But he didn't want his old wand back. He wanted to keep the Yew wand. "Oh. That's... thanks..."

"It will not replace the one _you now own_, Harry." Voldemort said laughing. "It offends me that its Brother is broken, that is all."

Harry sighed in relief.

Bella bounced in her seat her eyes shinning. "My Lord! Have you..."

Rodolphus Lestrange surreptitiously got hold of her arm and squeezed tightly. She had a short sleeved dress on and from where Harry was sitting he saw her flesh turning white where his fingers dug in. She stopped bouncing. Harry narrowed his eyes. She hadn't spoken very much at all this evening. The fingers were not letting up.

"Let go of your wife's arm, Mr Lestrange." Harry drawled, pointing his wand at him. The man froze looking at Voldemort. "Everyone has a voice, and if Bella wishes to speak to her Lord you will not stop her. Come here, Bella." The hand let her go of her and she looked up at him with scared eyes. "It's all right, come on." Harry said.

The others were all looking at him in surprise. Bella came and stood in front of him. He gently took her arm that was already bruising, turned it to Voldemort's inspection and then healed it. He stood up beside her and pointed his wand back at Rodolphus. "_Accio Diamond"_. It flew from the man's pocket into Harry's hand. Harry hung it around Bella's neck and took her trembling hand in his.

"I gave this diamond to your _wife_. I did not give it to you. There is_ no way_ she would have taken it off today, for _any_ reason unless she was forced to by someone she must be terrified of. She mentioned this morning that she had no jewellery, not that she had been allowed to _keep_ anyway. You are correct in thinking it is worth a fortune. Is it worth your _life?_" Harry spat.

"My Lord." Rodolphus began, outraged. "Please... I..."

But Voldemort had the Elder Wand in his hand. '_Crucio!_' He hissed furiously.

When the screams had died down Harry spoke in a voice of ice. "This is not the first time I have healed your wife. I'm a _natural_ healer. It means that I go into the body and I _see_ everything, unfortunately for you. The injuries you have given her over the years are the same type of injuries I myself have sustained from _muggles_. In other words from the use of _fists_. Very different from injuries caused by curses which leave a signature and a burn along the bone. When Nagini attacked her and I questioned her about being unhealed she said she was _used_ to it. You have broken her ribs, and various other bones. More than once. The injuries were never treated. She wasn't _allowed_ to ask Snape for help, was she?"

Snape flew to his feet. "You _bastard_." He hissed, pulling his wand. "I suspected, but the idiotic woman would never own to it! How dare you treat her thus!"

Harry sneered. "Draco was right about you. But then he was right about everyone. He disliked you intensely. I'm taking his aunt and mother down to the lake to pay my respects to him. I want the company. If I ever see you again, Lestrange, though from the look on Snape's face I doubt that I will. I'll kill you." He walked away across the room with Bella and Narcissa.

Lucius swished his wand gleefully. "Marvolo, is this up to firing an Avada Kedavra do you think?"

"Doubting my work Lucius? Try it and see for yourself."

The last thing Harry heard as he reached the front door was Lucius' miffed. "_Severus!_ _I_ wanted to do it! It's my house!" And... Voldemort's death voice making his toes curl and his skin flush hotly. "Save it for tomorrow, Lucius. You can take care of Rabastan. He would have known what Rodolphus was doing to Bella. Left unchecked he will seek vengeance for his brother. It is the way of things."

As they walked through the snow Bella sniffed. "I suppose I could _come_ to like you. If you wanted me to."

"Knock yourself out." Harry said as he cast a warming charm over the three of them. "Doesn't mean I have to like you though."

Narcissa started to laugh and took his hand in hers.

"Look how it sparkles!" Bella held the diamond up to the moon. Then she danced off ahead of them like a mad sprite.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning:** This Story contains **SLASH**, **LV/HP** if this offends _please_ do not read.

******Disclaimer: **Everything belongs to JK Rowling

_'Parseltongue'_

_._

_**Warning**: _Last chapter and, oh dear,_ Extreme _Fluff

An Unwise Murder

Chapter Five

.

Boxing day mid morning and Harry was hanging onto Voldemort's arm trying to prevent him from leaving the bed.

"Unhand me, Brat! I will not spend the entire day satisfying your insatiable libido! I want a bath and some lunch and then a long walk."

Harry laughed and let him go. "I could do with all that I suppose. Though if you want to change your mind at any point..."

"The sooner you go back to Hogwarts after the holiday the sooner I will get some peace." Voldemort kept his back to him as he shrugged on a robe. The thought of the Brat being away from him was very nearly debilitating. But he would not stop him from going. This was an opportunity to find out just what his intentions were.

"You are joking aren't you." Harry spat, leaping from the bed and staring at the back of Voldemort's head. "If you want to get rid of me, I'll leave, just say the word! But if you think for one _second_ I will ever set foot in that cursed place again you really are as _insane_ as everyone thinks you are! I don't need a piece of paper telling me I'm competent and I don't have to _prove_ anything to anyone! Much like yourself remember!" Harry started to stalk to the door. "If I had _my_ way, I'd tear the fucking place down!"

Voldemort smiled happily to himself as the door slammed resoundingly. That went _very_ well. Harry was staying. Good.

Harry shot back into the room and took the robe a smirking Voldemort was holding out. He put it on covering his naked body and left again closing the door quietly.

Voldemort waited. The door opened again and Harry walked in and sat on the edge of the bed.

"You don't really want to get rid of me do you?" He asked with a slight frown. "Am I crowding you or something. Do you need some space? I know I've been a real hassle to you over the last four weeks."

"Idiot Brat. Of course I don't want to get rid of you, and you are not 'crowding me' and I do not require... 'space'. I refuse to repeat that last word. Are these disgustingly banal phrases _muggle_." He sneered. "Please refrain from using them to _me_. I merely wanted to know if you intended to go back to Hogwarts."

"It sounded like you couldn't wait for me to go. Do you _want_ me to go back?"

"No. I do not."

Harry let out a shaky breath. "That's good because I... I can't lose you, can't be away from you. I just _can't_."

"Then you never shall be, Harry." Voldemort drew him up into his arms feeling the trembling body and cursed himself. "I apologise for way I worded it. I had to know and I was torn. On the one hand I would not have stopped you had you wanted to go and on the other... I too do not like the idea of being parted from you."

"That's settled then." Harry said kissing his neck. "Don't scare me like that again." His hand slid into Voldemort's robe and stroked his side losing himself in the feel of skin. He ran it over the curve of his firm buttock, groaning. "I can't get enough of you."

"I suppose another hour or two in bed will not come amiss." Voldemort said pushing Harry back onto the bed and following him down.

Their robes were disposed of and Harry purred as Voldemort made exquisite love to him in that slow languid fashion that melted him completely. Harry pulled his head down and kissed him, exploring his mouth and stroking his tongue and he didn't stop once until it was over and he was laying across Voldemort's chest falling into a dreamy sleep.

The following five days were a honeymoon for Harry. He and Voldemort were inseparable and Harry was truly happy. They walked for miles across moors and through forests, talked for hours about the wizarding world and Voldemort's goals. They explored each other mind's and Harry asked question after question about Voldemort's past, his childhood, his youth, his travels, his thinking. They spent the evenings reading and discussing aspects of Salazar's work, his delving into magicks never before heard of. Voldemort showed him the new curriculum for Hogwarts and Harry had smiled at the underscored 'mudblood and half-blood' training: Manners, etiquette, traditions. Required reading of books explaining the fundamentals of magic and alignment. Books written by wizards considered great scholars that had never been available to students from the muggle world before.

Defence against the Dark Arts had been renamed 'Defence' and the Dark Arts were to be integrated into Charms, and Transfiguration, Astrology, Arithmancy and History. All Students were to have lessons on the History of the muggle world. The Wars, the development of science and technology. And Literature. Again there was required reading of all the great writers Voldemort had strong suspicions were _wizards_ because he could not accept that anyone he admired was not. Harry had laughed uproariously at this.

It was late afternoon, New Year's Eve, Voldemort's birthday. Harry sat quietly reading, engrossed in Salazar's diary absently stroking Nagini who was curled up next to him on the sofa. Voldemort was at a desk writing in a copy of Salazar's tome that Harry had painstakingly duplicated for him for his birthday. The only difference between the two was that Voldemort's pages of fine parchment were bare, waiting for him to fill them. Later they were going to the Malfoy's for dinner. Lucius was a regular visitor now. He would sit with Voldemort most evenings for an hour or two discussing the day he had had at the Ministry and sipping malt whiskey. The two were now completely relaxed in each other's company and Harry was glad. He could see it pleased both men to have regained the friendship they had lost.

Bella was an erratic visitor, turning up and being a nuisance. She had moved into the suite of rooms Voldemort had vacated at Malfoy Manor. She had no wish to live in the home she had shared with her hated husband and his brother. She wouldn't talk about her abuse and never mentioned Rodolphus or Rabastan. In her little world it was over, they were dead and it didn't matter any more. She did tease Snape a lot though because it was he who had cast the killing curse at Rodolphus.

When Snape's head suddenly shot through the fireplace Harry thought he would have a heart attack.

"POTTER! It's Abraxas! He has stopped breathing and I cannot..."

But Harry was up along with Voldemort, throwing floo powder into the fire. He stepped through past Snape and ran full pelt through the room and up the stairs to the nursery. He burst through the door and snatched the bundle from Lucius' arms. Bella and Narcissa were crying pitifully, clinging onto each other and Lucius looked like he too had just died. The house elf who thought Harry 'bad' was sobbing into a large hanky.

"He is dead, Marvolo," Lucius choked, as the Dark Lord stalked over to him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "He is _dead_."

Harry threw the blanket off the tiny body and held him up in front of him with his hands under his arms. The face and lips were blue, the body limp. "DON'T YOU DO THIS TO ME!" He roared. "DON'T YOU DARE DO THIS!" He drove forward with his minds eye without the use of a wand and he and the baby were encased in a blue light so bright it filled the entire room and the others had to cover their eyes... he flung his lifeforce, everything he was, into every organ, vein, and artery with a speed that blurred the lines of his mind. He restarted the body like a machine. He forced oxygen into the brain, and blood into the lungs, he widened tubes, expanded airways. He forced blood along to the heart, making it shudder and then start to pump steadily. He searched every inch of blood and bone and tissue and muscle looking. He drove into the chambers of the heart while forcing the muscle to do its job and then he saw it – a large hole in the wall between the ventricles.

Concentrating on keeping the heart at a steady rate he patched the hole, intricately knitting the tissue together until the blood no longer leaked through. Very slowly he lessened his influence on the pumping organ until he was sure it was working on its own. Then he was sinking to his knees, the blue light fading and hands were taking the pink squalling baby from him.

He rolled onto his side. Someone was shouting, Voldemort's face was close to his talking urgently. Harry slowly lifted a hand to that mesmerising skin feeling the cool smoothness as Voldemort clasped his hand tightly. He stared into solid red eyes that had shut down. A lispy voice was singing in his ear about Fairies. Bella. He tried to laugh but it escaped as a long raspy exhale of breath that was to be his last as he slipped away.

~HPLV~

A baby was crying. Harry opened one eye then another and found himself standing in a misty fog. Why was a baby crying? He walked towards the sound and bumped into a bench. The mist cleared slightly and he saw a bundle of cloth laying on the ground. He picked it up and felt the singing frisson of dark power rush through him tightening his body and making his skin tingle. He hugged the infant to him tightly whispering soft words as it stopped crying and nuzzled into his neck.

"Trust you, Harry, you never do anything the easy way do you?"

That light clipped voice, the mocking tones. _Drake!_ Harry turned and there stood Draco and Hermione smiling and looking... beautiful. He opened his mouth, closed it and to his shame began to cry. Arms were wrapping around him as he sobbed like the baby he was holding had been sobbing. He held onto it tighter as his head was pulled down onto Hermione's chest and she stroked his hair soothingly.

"It's all right, Harry. Everything is all right now. You did so well. You were so brave."

Draco had his arm round his shoulders. "Did you _have_ to give my watch to father, Potter?"

Harry stopped mid-sob and laughed. "Oh Christ I've missed you." He gasped. He looked around, "I'm _dead._" He said suddenly. Shock taking over as Hermione dried his tears.

"Kind of." Draco drawled, and drew him to the bench to sit between him and Hermione. "You expended your entire lifeforce on Abraxas. He is fine by the way. Thanks to you. You gave him everything you had."

Harry looked at Hermione. "I'm sorry." He said. "I couldn't get over..."

"I know. But you _always_ _loved_ him, Harry. We knew that. You would have come round. You just needed time."

"So," Draco said punching him on the arm. "You wanted to die and now you have. Idiot. It's your choice whether you stay dead with us, or go back. He'll take you back if that's what you want." He nodded to the bundle Harry was clutching. "It's your Horcrux and..." He stopped, looking at Hermione in alarm. "Can you see _him_..." He mumbled. She nodded, biting her bottom lip.

Harry didn't hear him. "Are you happy." He asked fervently. "You two, here, or wherever it is you _go_. Are you happy?"

Hermione smiled sadly. "Of course we are, we are _together_. We do not regret our decision to follow the other in death. And of course we are angry and sad that we had to leave Abraxas and _you_. We don't '_go_' anywhere at the moment. Death hasn't let us 'pass'. Draco was murdered purely for the 'want of a Hallow' Death's own device. Because he was _soul_ bonded to me that makes our death's somewhat unique. Something about death versus selfless sacrifice... You tried to save Draco, he sacrificed his life saving you. I sacrificed my life to be with Draco. And now, Harry, you have sacrificed your life for our son, who was born prematurely_,_ _because_ of _Draco's_ _death_. And because he was premature he had a heart defect.

"Three souls all stemming from the want of a Hallow, all self-sacrificing. Death is not at all pleased about it all."

Harry held the bundle closer still as it shifted. "I'm sorry, I love you two dearly, I do. I miss you more than I can cope with. But I _can't_ leave him. I love him more. I _have_ to go back." The bundle suddenly glowed with a bright red light and disappeared. "What's happened?" Harry said, panic clouding his senses. "Where's it gone? I'm going back."

Draco put an arm around Harry. "Death has just taken that option away, Harry. I'm sorry."

"What? But... I don't want to die now! Not now!"

Hermione held his hand. "Harry, it's gone. I'm so sorry."

Harry stood up abruptly shaking his head. "_NO_. You don't _understand_. I have to go back! I love him!"

"That is very good to hear, Brat. Now, where is my nemesis?"

~HPLV~

"_Silence!"_ Voldemort shouted.

The panicked shouting and crying in the room died down instantly. He scooped Harry's body up and strode out of the door with it. "Lucius, Severus, follow me." He ordered. You two stay here with the babe.

The baby was fine and looking healthier than it ever had sleeping peacefully in the arms of a quietly crying Narcissa. Bella was sniffling into her shoulder her hand clasping the twisting the diamond pendant. The house elf was muttering '_good_ Harry Potter!'

Voldemort apparated to his chambers back at Slytherin Manor, he laid Harry's lifeless body on the bed. Lucius and Severus followed. Lucius was stark white standing staring uncomprehendingly at Harry. Harry, who had saved his grandson's life at the cost of his own.

"Severus, while I am gone prepare a full array of potions here in this room for Harry. His lifeforce has been completely depleted along with his magic, you will find what you need in the lab downstairs. Send calming potions over to Bella and Narcissa. Lucius, you must prepare yourself for a _shock_. If what I'm about to attempt _works_ you will need to remain strong. Severus, I am relying on you to keep _calm_ and to keep _order_. Do not allow our bodies to be touched under _any_ circumstances. If there is no change in our status after twenty-four hours, you will know what to do."

Snape nodded trying not to look at Potter's body. "You can rely on me, My Lord."

Voldemort gathered all the items he wanted and lay down next to the Brat. Suddenly he was engulfed in red light that slammed into him making him scream as the part of his soul that had been Harry's rejoined his. As the pain eased he breathed heavily. Then he lifted the Elder Wand to his temple.

"No, Marvolo, _NO!_" Lucius shouted. But it was too late as a green light engulfed Voldemort and his arm slumped down to rest beside Harry.

~HPLV~

Harry hurried towards the vision striding out of the mist towards him. When arms wrapped around him Harry threw his arms around Voldemort's neck, kissing him with a hard passionate intensity. "I do love you!" He cried, "and now that I _don't_ want to die, I'm _dead!_ _How_ are you here? Oh, gods I love you." He kissed him again.

"As I do you, Harry." Voldemort said against his lips. He ran a hand through his hair and stroked his face as if memorising it.

"A touching scene if only I could be touched." A freezing voice sneered. "Tom Marvolo Riddle... at last we meet. What an _unexpected_ surprise."

Harry shivered not daring to look up from Voldemort's chest. The arms tightened around him and he felt the rumble of Voldemort's low laughter vibrate through his ears.

"No it isn't. You know why I am here."

"You _know_ what I want for them." Death said.

Harry lifted his head and looked at the shadowy figure cloaked in black, its hood hiding its face. If it had one. Harry couldn't see anything. Draco and Hermione came to stand by them. "What do you mean 'them'. What's going on." He was suddenly scared. "What does he _want_."

"My Lord," Draco said quietly, bowing. "May I present my wife, Hermione Malfoy."

"Yes, thank you, Draco. Mrs Malfoy, I am pleased to make your acquaintance. Please be so kind as to take good care of Harry for me."

Hermione nodded, her amber eyes filling with tears.

"WHAT? What are _DOING!_ No, whatever it is he wants, HE'S NOT HAVING IT!"

Voldemort extricated Harry's arms from around his neck forcing him back into the arms of Draco and Hermione.

"Calm down, Harry, all is well." He said gently. "Trust me." He looked at Draco who nodded solemnly and clasped hold of Harry and Hermione firmly. Voldemort brushed his fingers down Harry's white face, ran his thumb pad across his lips.

Harry stared up into solid red eyes and gleaming skin, shaking his head wildly. He began to struggle, trying to get away from Hermione and Draco.

"_Let me stay!" _ He screamed, at Death. "Let me stay! You don't take him, don't you _dare_ take him! _Let me stay!_ HAVEN'T YOU TAKEN ENOUGH FROM ME!"

Voldemort took a step away from Harry and turned to face Death. "Done." He said.

"_NOOOOO!_" Harry screamed, as he, Hermione and Draco were sucked back through a tube of darkness.

Voldemort blinked and laid the Hallows before Death. "The Cloak, The Resurrection Ring, The Elder Wand." He watched as they lifted and disappeared into the folds of Death's robe. "My Horcruxes are yours."

"You no longer fear me then, Tom Riddle." Death questioned. "Your immortality is over."

Voldemort Pondered for a long moment. "I would not be so unwise as to not fear you. My life was... empty without the Brat, I would not now wish to live a life without him in it. I will soul bond to him unless it is your intention to take me now." He stared into the empty hood.

"You took a great risk in giving me your Horcruxes. I _could_... but, no. You have Selflessly given back to me that which I have long yearned for. My three Hallows for three souls. The two souls I didn't want in the first place... No one will remember their passing apart from the family. The rather spectacular deaths of all those involved will be a hazy memory no one will delve into.

"You and your... _Brat,_ are destined to do great things for the world before you pass. I shall of course be destroying the rest of your Horcruxes _before_ you go. The great mystery of death is quite simple Tom Riddle, it is rarely to be feared by those who fear it. It is mostly to be feared by those who do not. Well, today is your Birthday... we should call it your re-birth day. Your age will be fifty. We shall meet again two centuries from now. Brace yourself... This will hurt."

~HPLV~

The complete silence and shock in the room as Voldemort to all intents and purposes killed himself was profound. Then Snape flew into action gathering the Potions he would need and sending calming Potions over by house elf to Narcissa and Bella. He offered one to Lucius on his return to the room but the man refused it. He was just staring at his lifeless friend, unable to believe this was happening.

Harry suddenly moved and drew a breath. Snape rushed over to him and ran his wand along his body. He was weak and lacking in energy, his magic was depleted but apart from that, fine. He began to spell various Potions into him.

"He is alive," Lucius said hoarsely, "he is alive!" He looked at Marvolo waiting with baited breath for him to move. _Willing_ him to move.

"Father." A soft voice choked from behind him, "Father..."

Lucius went down on one knee as if poleaxed, clutching a fist to his chest. He hung his head as a low keen left his lips. '_Lucius, you must prepare yourself for a shock. If what I'm about to attempt works you will need to remain strong_'. He closed his eyes tightly knowing he could never be strong enough for this... never...

"Father," the voice said again, and he felt a hand gripping his shoulder. He began to weep unashamedly and then, on his knees before him, holding him by his shoulders, was his son, his beautiful son, his grey eyes shining his lips trembling but smiling... Lucius gave a shout and jerked him into his arms, running his hands over his back to ensure that he was real, laughing and crying and kissing his cheeks. Wrapping him against as if he would never let him go... _never_... "Draco, my son, my _son_..."

Snape, white to the bone at what was going on behind him, concentrated solely on Harry. Though he had done all he could do for now. He could hear Draco's _voice_, hear Lucius crying... but he would not turn. _He would not._ Then he felt a light hand on his shoulder and a soft; "Hello Professor Snape. Is Harry all right?"

He felt the bottom drop out of his world as his head turned slowly and Hermione Granger smiled at him gently. He wondered why he had never realised how beautiful she was. "It's a shock, I know. I hope you are not too disappointed that the Know-it-all is back."

Snape took her hand from his shoulder and held it in both of his. He swallowed. "Miss Granger," he cleared his throat. "Mrs Malfoy." He began again. "Are you feeling quite well. Is there anything you perhaps need..."

She nodded her head. "I know that we have never been on the best of terms, Professor, but... if you could manage to h-hold me... for a minute. I'm feeling really unsteady and..." The rest was cut of as she was engulfed in his arms.

"I see you are getting acquainted with my wife, Godfather." An amused voice said a minute later. Snape looked up. Lucius and Draco were standing watching him. He led Hermione over to them and Draco took her into his arms. "That was a hell of a 'rush', darling, wasn't it? This is my _father_, Lucius Malfoy. Not the _Death Eater_, Lucius Malfoy. And now, the Minister of Magic!"

Hermione held her hand out and was again engulfed in strong arms. "My dear girl," Lucius choked. "My dear girl."

Snape grabbed Draco and gave him a firm embrace. "You have no idea how much you have been missed." He croaked.

"We have been watching. Death wouldn't let us 'move on' – long story. But I guess he knew all along that _he_ would be coming for us..." He nodded to Voldemort. "So we have been keeping up on events. I laughed myself silly when you AK'd Rodolphus. I better look as good as I did before Dumbledore killed me. Now, how are we going to tell mother we're back so that we can see our son?"

There was a groan from the bed and all eyes turned in that direction. Voldemort was glowing, and it was getting brighter. Snape rushed over to him as the man opened his eyes and began to scream.

~HPLV~

Harry rolled onto his side. He opened his eyes to semi darkness and an empty room for once, which was a relief. He was in his bed and... his hand groped out, he wasn't beside him. Dread filled him as memory returned and he tried to lever himself up. He only managed half way before he slumped down and put his face into his hands. The tears came and he cried quietly for the man he loved and who was dead. Again he had been left behind, only this time it was worse. _So much worse_. Draco and Hermione were back and it was a miracle and it was great and... he wanted to die...

He heard a door open but he didn't look up. "Go away." He mumbled. "Just go away and leave me _alone_."

He heard the door close and turned into the pillow. Voldemort, his red eyed, pearl skinned, beautiful love. Why had he done it, _why! He had said he loved him, hadn't he? _He had said to _trust_ him_. _But he had left him, forced Harry away and _left_ him.

He heard the noise of someone sitting in the chair by the bed. His head shot up and a man sat looking at him. Harry narrowed his eyes. He'd seen him before. He had vague memories of days and nights of twisting and turning and shouting insults and hands trying to hold him down as he fought and screamed for Voldemort, and later... Hermione and Draco talking to him, Abraxas laying on his chest, and... Snape with his Potions, and Bella _singing _to him, Narcissa, Lucius, visiting him... all of them not daring to mention _his_ name... and this man... was there... always he was there waiting patiently in the background, as Voldemort had once waited patiently for him... Voldemort...

"Fuck off. I don't care _who_ you are. And tell Snape or Lucius or Draco or WHOEVER it is that keeps letting you in here that I don't want doctors, and I don't want shrinks!" He wiped his tears away with the back of his hands.

"Well at least you are _lucid_ in your insults this time and aren't throwing punches at me. I suppose that is an improvement. I am not a doctor nor am I a 'shrink'. And did I not tell you to stop using banal muggle phrases to _me, Brat_."

Harry felt the familiar urge to spin out of control and disappear. It was _His_ voice... in a face that _wasn't_.

"DON'T YOU CALL ME THAT!" Harry roared. "You are _not_ him! You _never_ could be!" He narrowed his eyes ignoring the hurt he saw that was quickly shielded. "You have invaded my mind." He hissed. "Believe me when I tell you that your only hope of surviving this life now is to kill me. Because when I am able I will not rest until you are _dead_ for using _his_ words to me!"

The man laughed harshly. "Death certainly dealt me a card when he gave me my soul back. You cannot fight me, Brat, you swore on your magic not to. And I decided not to kill you within hours of you arriving at Malfoy Manor, _remember_. It is _I_, Harry, Voldemort! My 'human' looks are returned along with my soul. I traded your life and your friend's lives for the Hallows and my Horcruxes for myself! I have been trying to tell you this for a _week_ and every time I _do_, you have a meltdown and disappear into your own private little hell! I am not _dead_, I am _alive!_ You _know_ it is the truth, you just will not accept it!" He stood up in frustration staring down at him. His eyes narrowed. "At least this time you are looking at my _face_ and not becoming hysterical about it!"

Harry tried to ignore the raw pain in the man's voice but found he couldn't. He had heard it before... and purposefully ignored it. In the fire light he saw that he was pale skinned, with jet black hair that curled around his ears and neck. His eyes were green, a dark green like his own, and his lips were... Voldemort's. His bone structure was... carved and his body... the lines of his body in the night robe, _Voldemort's_ night robe, were... so familiar and of perfect proportion. He tried to remember Tom Riddle at Sixteen. His heart rate sped up. He had been an extremely handsome boy with perfectly carved features, jet black hair, and dark eyes...

'_Where isss Nagini._' Harry hissed. Looking away from him.

'_Ssstaying as far away from you a posssible! You keep calling her a liar every time ssshe tellsss you who I am!_'

"What is the most treasured gift I gave to you, apart from the Hallows." Harry said breathlessly, thinking of the Salazar's tome, as he tried to breathe over his racing heart.

"A button."

"_What?!_" Harry turned back, looking at him incredulously.

"A button. A Mother of Pearl _Button!_ And in actuality, Brat, I treasured it far more than the Hallows, as I gave them away! I would not give the button away. I would let you all rot first!"

Harry gave a little burst of laughter, that turned into spluttering tears.

"And I am thoroughly _fed up_ with sleeping in the chair so that you do not wake up next to a stranger!" He took off his robe and got into bed pulling Harry into his arms. "And I am thoroughly _fed up_ with not being able to hold the man I _love,_ and gave up immortality for, just so I could _die_ _with_ _him!_"

Voldemort held the thin body tightly, stroking Harry's hair and kissing his temple. "Harry, my dear, stop crying now."

"You gave up everything you wanted in life for us, _everything!"_ Harry choked clinging onto familiar shoulders.

"No, I did not. _You_ are _everything_ I want in life, Brat, and you are the one thing that I will never give up. Not even in death."

Harry stroked his face and hair staring into dark green eyes. "I... I knew. I _knew_ but... You are very… handsome." He said with a frown.

"You are the only person in the world who would see that as a drawback and mourn so bitterly, as you have, for the passing of my former face and so violently hate my new one. " Voldemort said very drily.

Harry smiled sadly. "Ah, but you weren't handsome then – you were beautiful. Is there still snow on the grounds?"

"Yes. Why."

"Because that's where I'll be able to see him, every winter. Two drops of my blood on the snow under the moonlight."

Voldemort sighed. "You are irretrievably sentimental, Brat." He pulled Harry's head down and began to kiss him.

"I was so scared." Harry whispered against his lips. "So _angry_ at you for making me go back thinking..." Harry closed his eyes. "I _can't_ live without you."

"I know, Harry." Voldemort rolled and covered his body. "It's over and I have it on good authority that we will have a very long life. Starting now. And we will die together. We will soul bond, if you wish to."

"_Wish to_... I _insist_ on it. I'm _never_ going through this hell again!" He pulled Voldemort's head down and kissed him punishingly. "I love you, and you sent me back, without you, if you had died I would have killed myself..."

His words were cut off as Voldemort silenced him with his lips.

Harry gave himself up to the slow exquisite undulating body above him as Voldemort made love to him in that way that melted him from the inside out. He closed his eyes tightly and imagined pearly glimmering skin, and solid red eyes; he ran his hands over the exact same lines of the body he knew so well, imagining cool skin instead of warm. Yes, he'd get used to the new Voldemort, but for this one last time he'd pretend, and say goodbye to the old.

Much Later Voldemort sighed. "Harry, are you going to revert back to just staring at me for hours on end?"

Harry was laying on top of him running his fingers through his hair and staring at his face. "I'm getting used to you. Your eyes. They change colour, it's fascinating. There's flecks of..."

"Harry!" Draco burst into the room with Lucius hot on his heels. "Tell father this is _my_ watch!" He held up his wrist.

"I am accustomed to it, Draco! Harry gave it to me and I will not give it up! It's a talking point at the Ministry!"

"Oh, sorry my Lord." Draco bowed sharply. "I didn't realise Harry had come to his senses at last. I'll just..." He pulled his arm away from his father who was trying to prise the Rolex from his wrist.

"I'll buy you another one, Drake." Harry mumbled, rolling off Voldemort.

"Knock in future." Voldemort drawled, pulling his Wand from under his pillow. Draco and Lucius were blasted out of the room and the door slammed shut behind them.

Harry stared at the wand. "_But_... _How_..."

Voldemort smiled. "It seems Death decided to give me a Birthday present. When I came round, this was in my hand." He stroked the Elder Wand before sliding it back under his pillow. "He'll get in back, in two hundred years time."

Harry lay back staring at the ceiling. "Voldemort. Do you fancy going to London with me tomorrow. _Muggle_ London? I'll get Draco another watch and buy you a superb lunch at a really good Italian Restaurant I know."

"I do not 'fancy' it at all, Brat. _Never_ use that word! But I will go with you if you promise never to ask me again."

Harry laughed and rolled over him. "You may _like_ it." He said kissing his lips.

"Doubtful, but I 'like' you so I will make this _one time_ sacrifice."

"You are very generous." Harry breathed, rolling his hips and watching dark colour stain Voldemort's cheeks and his pupils dilate. "I'm beginning to like your new face." Harry said sitting up and mounting him in one smooth movement. "It's so expressive, I can tell what you are thinking."

"There is no blood in my brain for _thought_." Voldemort rasped, grabbing his hips.

Harry stared down at him grinning. "Exactly. It's just pure lust... _my_ _Lord_."

Voldemort stilled and raised his brows, then he grabbed Harry around the waist keeping him in place as he sat up. "Oh _Potter_," he said smiling with an evil glint in his eyes. "You _really_ shouldn't have said that."

.

The End.

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**Author's Note:** Thanks for reading this late Christmas story, (try to imagine this last chapter was published on the 25th of December as it should have been, instead of the 25th of January). And a huge thanks for all your really lovely reviews. They absolutely blew me away!

I'm now working on a new story (same pairing) that will not be 'fluffy' at all. Hooray!


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